The Lake People: Friendship, Love, and Werewolves?
by Harmony'sLoveHP
Summary: Mare had it all, a perfect like and a perfect boyfriend. When a terrible accident happens, she finds out the truth about her friends who drew away and the new boys in town. Wolves, Breakups, Fights, Love, Friendship, Family, and School. Summary inside. OC Surrounded
1. Intro

_**A/N: I did not have a chance to proofread it, so please do not mention any mistakes because I wanted to post it. **____** Also, the page breaks probably won't show up, so please, bare with me again. I didn't think about putting a symbol when I typed it.**_

Summary: Mary Ellen Mercer thought she had a pretty normal life. She had a popular boyfriend, great friends, and her parents were together. That all changed a few months ago when her friends started changing. They abandoned her for the senior jock, Nick. She was left with Tyler, but after a tragic incident, she basically lost the Tyler she knew forever.

_**There are no spoilers.**_

People Involved in the Story

**Mary Ellen Mercer:** Dark, curly hair with electric green eyes. She's average height and is dating Tyler Solomon. She is the smart, talented girl and also obeys the rules, but she is also a popular girl. She was friends with Asher Sigo until Nick Pieterse managed to get his grasp on him.

**Tyler Solomon:** Blonde hair, green eyes. He's around six foot, one of the shorter boys in his class, and is dating Mary Ellen. Tyler's a risk taker and fell off a cliff doing something risky. He is thought to have committed suicide, but he had taken a step too many backwards and fell. He is in a coma and has to wake up or he will die because of the Change.

**Asher Sigo:** Dark hair, brown eyes. He's around six two and used to be friends with Mary Ellen until the Change caused him to be unable to. He is the newest member of the pack.

**Matt Black:** Dark hair, brown eyes. He is around six two or six three. He has a younger sister Jessyca and is one of Asher's best friends. He was the third member of the pack, following Jareth and Nick.

**Jessyca Black:** Dark, curly hair, brown eyes. She is around five three. She is a year younger than Matt and is closest to Asher in the pack. She is soft natured and gets her way by being soft. Jessyca was the first girl in the pack.

**Lexi Prokop: ** Blonde hair, blue eyes. Lexi didn't want to be in the pack and tries to make their lives miserable because of it. She often doesn't stick around with the pack and goes off by herself. She doesn't socialize with people, which is why Nick allows her to go off by herself.

**Sawyer Young:** Dark hair, green eyes. He is around six four. Sawyer is the second newest member to the pack. He was best friends with Tyler until the Change. He then became Nick's friend by force, causing Tyler to hate him.

**Nick Pieterse:** Blonde hair, blue eyes. He is the tallest of the group at six, six. Nick had to go through the Change by himself with the little help that the Elder's could give him. He figured things out on his own and then passed them on to Jareth, the second member of the pack and also Nick's best friend.

**Jareth Snow:** Dark hair, green eyes. He is around six five and was Nick's friend throughout school until Nick suddenly disappeared for a month. Jareth began the Change two weeks after Nick returned and Nick figured out that he was going through it and helped him out. Together, the two began the pack with Nick as the Alpha and Jareth as the Beta.

**Grayson Grant:** Dark hair, blue eyes. He is about six foot two. Grayson is the younger cousin of Asher. He began hanging out with Asher, Tyler, Sawyer, and Mary when he moved to Brooke, West Virginia. He stuck with them and now remains the only person who still talks to Mary other than her best friend Alyssa Stewart.

**Alyssa Stewart: **Red hair, green eyes. She is about five four. Alyssa was Mary's next door neighbor until they bought a larger home across town. They grew up like sisters and is the only person who knows Mary's secrets and fears.

**Grayson Wolfter: **Blonde hair, brown eyes. He is about six foot. He has been Mary's friend forever and they are more like siblings. People often think that he likes guys, but he doesn't. He often calls people hon and darling is why.

**Evan Westholder: **Blonde hair, puppy dog brown eyes. He is about six five. He is the eldest of the Black Ones and is also the leader. Unlike the others, however, he isn't cold. The pack believes him to be their enemy and shy him away. He is one of the few, however, who actually gets along with other werewolves. His siblings do not.

**The Solomon Brothers: **Heath, Chris, Brett, Aaron. All look like Evan. Brett's more caring. Heath created the girl Jocelyn into a werewolf, thinking there needed to be a girl. Aaron and Chris keep to themselves.

**Rick and Isabel Solomon: **They are the Solomon brother's adoptive parents and the Elders of their pack. Isabel is kind and caring. Rick is too, but knows when there needs to be discipline. Isabel has dark hair, Rick is blonde.

Rankings of the Lake People Pack

**Alpha:** The Alpha is the leader of the pack, the first to change. He is flanked by Beta One and Beta Two. They are his most trusted members of the pack. The Alpha is: **Nick Pieterse.**

**Beta One:** The Beta One is the second member of the pack. He often flanks the Alpha's right side when running in formation. The Beta One is: **Jareth Snow.**

**Beta Two:** The Beta Two is the third member of the pack. They are the last person allowed to flank the Alpha and has to be loyal to the Alpha. The Beta Two runs on the opposite side of the Beta One. The Beta Two is: **Matt Black.**

**Ranking One:** Ranking One is the fourth member of the pack. They have two wolves flanking them, like an Alpha does. The Ranking One is: **Jessyca Black.**

**Left Flank of Ranking One:** The Left Flank of Ranking One is the wolf who runs on the Ranking One's left side when in formation. The Left Flank of Ranking One is the fifth member of the pack. The Left Flanking of Ranking One is: **Oliver Hopkins.**

**Right Flank of Ranking Two:** The Right Flank of Ranking Two is the wolf that runs on the right side of the Ranking One when in formation. The Right Flank of Ranking One is the sixth member of the pack. The Right Flank of Ranking One is: **Lexi Prokop.**

**Ranking Two:** Ranking Two is the seventh member of the pack. This ranking is not completely full until Tyler joins. Ranking Two runs behind Ranking One. Ranking Two is: **Sawyer Young.**

**Ranking Two Right Flank:** Ranking Two's Right Flank runs on the right side of Ranking Two. Ranking Two Right Flank is the eighth member of the pack. Ranking Two Right Flank is: **Asher Sigo.**

**Ranking Two Left Flank:** Ranking Two Left Flank runs on the left side of Ranking Two. Ranking Two Left Flank is the ninth member of the pack. Ranking Two Right Flank will be filled by: **Tyler Solomon.**


	2. Preface

_**Preface**_

_A man named __Baltasar Gracian once wrote: "A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends." What does this quote mean? What does it mean to me? I believe that it means that a wise man learns from his enemies, he learns from their mistakes and his own mistakes while a fool believes every word that his friends say._

_ It may also be that you stand up for yourself; you learn how to protect yourself from others. You need to know how to protect yourself. A fool just listens to every consoling word that his friends say instead of standing up for himself. If something bad happens, then he would go running to his friends, his little buddies, and the people that he knows will say all the right words. But, by standing up to your enemies, you learn something important. You learn how to stand up for yourself; you learn how to be strong._

_ Your enemies try to knock you down all the time, but by learning to stand up from yourself, you can learn how to protect yourself, physically and mentally. Everyone needs to, in my opinion, learn how to stand up for themselves. If you don't learn how to, then who's going to stand up for you when you have no one around? What friends are going to protect you after high school? College? Your family won't always be there, so you have to learn how to defend yourself._

_ I've had to learn how to defend myself. I had to learn fast how to defend myself. People will take every opportunity that they can to knock you down, but you have to learn how to bounce back, how to not let them get to you. It's really the only way to survive high school._

_ But, little did I know, that I was facing something larger, something much larger. It was something I never thought existed and something that I'd never faced. I just…didn't exactly know what it was._


	3. Chapter One

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I sat there, staring blankly at the wall across from me. It was midnight and I was stuck in a hospital. I ran a hand through my hair and slumped down in the chair. I looked down at my muddy clothes that were splattered with Tyler's blood. I put my head in my hands, unable to sit still or even think.

_"Tyler, are you an idiot?" I hissed. The blonde boy looked at me, a mischief smile on his face._

_ "No, are you?" he asked, holding his hand out to me. "Come on, Mary Ellen, it's not that far." I didn't take his hand. I stood there with my arms crossed and my dark curls blowing in the wind._

_ "I'm not breaking my neck for a thrill, Ty," I said. He sighed and stepped back up to me, taking my hands. I sighed, but didn't step back. He looked down at me, entwining our fingers._

_ "Nothing is going to go wrong, Mary," he said, kissing my forehead. I rolled my eyes and looked away. "I promise."_

_ "Promises are overrated," I said, staring at the moon._

_ "It's not that far over the hill, Mary, it'll be fine," he said, pulling me towards the ledge to show me the fifty foot straight drop. I snorted._

_ "It'd take ten minutes to go around, Ty, I think that you can wait that long," I said, stepping away from the edge and trying to pull him with me._

_ "That's your problem, M, you never want to do anything other than follow the rules. You rule the school, but how? How can someone who's never been drunk or had any fun? Why do you always obey the rules?" he asked, his tone just making me even madder._

_ "Because people who don't break the rules don't get hurt doing something stupid like this!" I shot back. He looked at me, his green eyes pissed. I slumped against a tree and watched him._

_ "Fine, you take the long way, play it safe, and I'll meet you down there," he said and turned away. I pushed off from the tree quickly and looked at him, reaching for his arm._

_ "Ty, wait, don't be stupid," I said. He spun around._

_ "I'm not being stupid, Mare, I'm just trying to get you home before your little curfew," he said._

_ "Screw my curfew then, just come with me," I said, begging because I knew it wouldn't end well. He stepped back, an appalled look on his face._

_ "Mary Ellen breaking the rules? I'm-" He was cut off by a scream, maybe my own, as he fell over the edge backwards._

_ "Tyler!" I screamed, running closer to the ledge and looking down. I heard nothing and I could see nothing in the darkness. I ran a hand through my hands and spun around, pulling out my phone and seeing if I had service. None. "Damn you, Tyler," I hissed under my breath and took off running towards the path._

_ I pulled my phone from my pocket and turned on the flashlight, looking around for Tyler. I brought my hand to my mouth to cover my gasp when I saw his body lying on the ground. I ran over to him and knelt next to him, feeling for a pulse. I sighed in relief when I found one and looked at his head, which was bleeding from striking a rock when he came down. I pulled off my hoodie and put it by his head in hopes to keep it from bleeding and pulled his phone from his pocket. I sat back on my heels, not sure what to do when he had no signal on his either. I looked at him and wiped the tears from my eyes, trying to find all the info my mom had talked about for injuries of when people fell. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to find the answer from her nurse talks._

_ I looked at Tyler's body and started my examination, or what I hoped was. When I was satisfied that moving him wouldn't put him in immediate danger, I looked at him and found my inner base strengths. After all, he shouldn't be too hard to pick up. He was just skin and bones, after all. I took him gently into my arms, staggering a bit, but I'd lifted flyers in cheerleading. I could carry my unconscious boyfriend to a place where I had signal._

_ I staggered up the hill, Tyler getting heavier with each step. I managed to make it to the top of the hill and gently placed him on the ground, checking each of our phones and sighing in relief when I found one with Tyler's phone. I slumped down on the ground next to Tyler after calling 911 and buried my head in my hands and sobbing. The next few hours were a blur._

"Hon?" a voice asked. I looked up, knowing I looked like crap. My mom stood in the doorway, looking tired. I took one look at her and then next thing I knew, I was in her arms. "I'm sorry, Mary. You tried your best."

"Stop talking like he's dead," I muttered. She stroked her hair.

"I meant you tried your best to stop him from going over the edge," Mom said. I looked at her and brushed my hair from my eyes.

"What he did was stupid, and I told him so. He met the consequences," I said simply. She stood.

"Get some rest hon., I have to get back to work, but I'll check back in," she said, smoothing my hair and pushing me back onto the couch in the waiting room and covered me with the blanket that was draped over the back.

I yawned and stretched the next morning, blinking at the sunlight and trying to get my bearings. I bolted up when I realized where I was and what I was still dressed in. I looked down at myself and sighed. I had nothing else to wear. I swung my legs over the side of the couch and pulled out my phone and frowned when I saw two and realized that I still had Tyler's…and he had over two dozen texts from his friends and his parents, who were saying that they couldn't get a ride back, but would be there as soon as they can.

I walked out of the waiting room and down the hall to the dining hall. I knew the hospital like the back of my hand, having gone to the day care here often when my mom had to work. I ran a hand through my hair and ducked out of a door and out into the employee parking lot to find my mom's car, remembering I had a pair of practice clothes for cheerleading.

I hurried across the parking lot and shivered from the cold as I opened the driver's side of my mom's car and opened the trunk. I dug around in my bag for a pair of shorts and a tank top and closed the trunk before sprinting across the parking lot, tired of the looks the visitors were giving me as they tried to find a place to park.

I ducked into the bathroom and quickly changed, stuffing my filthy clothes into a bag in hopes that they could be saved. I stared at my reflection in the mirror before grabbing a ton of paper towels and scrubbing my face until the dried blood and mud was off. I stared at my reflection and dug in my bag for my make up so it didn't look like I was a raccoon from not getting enough sleep.

I turned and left the bathroom, feeling better, but the pain in my chest for Tyler was still there as I walked down the hall towards the ICU. I looked around before ducking into the unit as a doctor entered and didn't acknowledge me. I kept my head down as I hurried down the hall, taking the long way to avoid the nurses' station and any nurses. I stopped at the end of a hall and my breath was knocked out of me, I felt light headed, and my vision blurred.

I looked at Tyler's body, looking frail in the hospital gown beneath the itchy hospital sheet. He had a few IV's hooked to his arm and a heart monitor. And, around his head and blocking his blonde hair, was gauze, covering the spot where his head had struck. His left arm was also in a cast, probably from landing on it. His face and arms were covered in scratches and bruises. With his eyes closed, and the subtle rise and fall of his chest, he looked as though he was sleeping.

I glanced over my shoulder before stepping into the room and easing the door shut as I walked over to him. I looked down at him and brushed my hair from my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat, trying not to cry. I sunk down into the chair next to his bed and took his hand as I watched his face for a sign of movement, a sign that he knew I was there. He didn't move. He gave no sign.

I watched him a moment longer before brushing the tears from my eyes and standing.

"I love you, Tyler," I murmured and turned. I walked to the door and glanced at him before easing the door shut behind me.

I hurried down the hall the same way I came, hoping to avoid the nurses, doctors, my mom, and even the cops that loitered in the lobby, keeping the reporters out. I avoided my dad's gaze as he looked at me from his post by the door. I hurried past as he spoke on his walkie- talkie. I ran a hand through my hair as I emerged outside and into the fresh, crisp autumn air. I could actually breathe.


	4. Chapter Two

**Asher Sigo**

A lone wolf howled near where I stood staring over the edge of the gulley. My ears pricked forward as I caught the scent of the others. I turned from the gulley and padded slowly back into the woods. I paused and shook out my fur and then kept walking.

_ "Ash?"_ A voice asked, popping into my head. I held back a groan.

_"What is it, Lexi?"_ I asked, trying to keep the irritation from entering my voice.

_"We lost sight of Nick. We are not all that sure where he went,"_ she replied.

_"He's here somewhere. Go find him or call him and stop bugging me," _I growled in reply. I heard her sigh in her head before hearing her pad off.

_"Thank the ancestors," _another voice said, seeming closer. I turned and found myself looking into Matt's eyes and Sawyer's eyes.

_"I still can't believe Nick let her in," _Sawyer groaned, flopping down onto his stomach. I started pacing, anxious to get back to the Lake.

_"It's not like he had a choice. He had to let her in or she could have started her own pack. That would have been bad," _Matt said. Sawyer gave him a look. _"Just saying."_

_ "Yeah, well I'm saying screw her and get her out of here. We can do better without her," _Sawyer said.

_"I can hear you!" _Lexi said coldly.

"_Good!" _four voices said just as coldly. I frowned. Four? I turned and saw Jessyca. She tossed her head and sat down.

_"So, sis, you decided to join us?" _Matt asked bitterly. Jessyca raised her shoulders at her brother. I sighed and continued pacing, trying to tune out of their conversation as I waited for Nick's reply.

I wasn't accustomed to the late night patrols of our territory. I had just recently been welcomed into the pack…well; it wasn't as though I'd had any choice, really. It was in my genes, basically a destiny. I didn't want it, not truly. It was odd to have to be stuck with these people, having them listen to my mind when I thought I'd hated them because of their little gang. I guess I'd been wrong.

_"Come on, Ash, he said it's time to get some rest," _Jessyca said, standing. I looked at her and nodded.

_"I'm coming," _I replied and watched them run off.

I glanced at the gulley before turning and running towards the Lake.

I yawned as I slammed my locker door shut the next morning and ran a hand through my dark hair, pausing as I stared at the tribal tattoo on my wrist, a sun that looked as though it had flames running around it. I shook my head and turned to walk away when I saw Mary Ellen, I started to walk towards her, but Jessyca stepped in my path.

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but she nodded towards where Nick and Jareth stood. I sighed and looked at her. She gave me a helpless shrug and hooked her arm through mine, steering me away from Mary Ellen as though I was one of her "girlfriends". I pulled my arm from hers as we met up with the others in the alcove outside of the library.

I sat down in the empty spot next to Jareth as they discussed last night's patrol, no one saying anything about Lexi not being there. I stared blankly at the lockers across from me, each of us thinking about how Tyler Solomon wasn't going to be in the pack soon. That just meant someone else would be. Someone else who was innocent, and someone else who didn't deserve this hell.

"Asher," Nick said. I snapped out of my daze and looked at him. "Where's your head at?" I shrugged and caught Mary looking at me, but quickly averted my gaze. "Anyone heard anything on Tyler?"

"The accident was just two days ago, Nick, I don't think the doctors know much about his condition, much less tell anyone else," Jessyca said, fiddling with her shirt.

"No one went to see him? Not a single person? Sawyer, I thought you two were friends," Nick said. Everyone adverted their gazes, including Sawyer.

"I was until I was inducted and had to stay away from him for his own good," Sawyer muttered.

"Change of plans. We need to know how soon he's going to be healed," Nick said, looking at Sawyer squarely. I rolled my eyes and stood. "Something wrong, Asher?"

"Nick, I know that we're family and all, but I think it's going to look a little suspicious whenever Sawyer shows up at the hospital to see the friend that he hasn't talked to in over a year," I said. Nick looked at me.

"You've only been with us for a month; you don't know our ways of functioning. We need him, and we need him soon. Being part of the pack should help the healing process start. That's why he didn't die that night. He's going to wake up soon and we need to stop the doctor's from freaking because he has dog like eyes," Nick said calmly. I shook my head.

"He was all of our friends, Nick, until you drove us away from him. Not only Tyler, but all of our other friends," I said, turning to leave. He grabbed my wrist hard.

"You're not walking out on this pack, Asher. Like it or not, you're stuck with us. I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. I'm looking out for your safety and Tyler's. If he doesn't shift soon, the wolf blood will take over his body and kill him," Nick said quietly and evenly. "We can't lose a member of the pack to that. We're running out of time. He should have already shifted." I stared at him and then at Jessyca, but she looked away.

"Fine, but don't expect me to bow down to you all the time," I said, pulling my wrist away hard.

"No one asked you to," he said. I stared him down before turning and walking away.

"Wait, Asher," Jessyca said.

"Don't," I heard Matt say, holding his sister back.

I pushed the outer doors to the quad open, staring at my shaking hands. I stuffed them in my pocket, trying to calm myself and get my heart under control so it didn't trigger the change. That's what triggered it. If my heart was racing for a certain reason, such as anger or fear, then it triggered the change if it went on for a long time. I had to keep myself in check. At all costs.

I sunk down onto a bench, putting my head in my hands as the head ache you got after defying the leader of the pack. It wasn't as bad as it was when I first joined the pack and flipped out on Nick because of it. I'd learned my lesson after that.

I jumped to my feet and tensed as the doors to the quad open. The dark, curly haired girl I'd known since I was six stood there. She looked at me, her eyes wide and looking slightly tired. I looked away, thinking about how she was dating Tyler and he was in a coma. He was also running out of time. I looked back at her, pushing the pity look from my face and showing a mask of no emotion whatsoever.

"Ash," she whispered, stepping towards me. I stepped back, Nick's warning and consequences running through my head. "Ash, please." I shook my head.

"I can't," I said simply. She shook her head and closed the space between us since I couldn't move because of the concrete bench behind me.

"I don't believe that, Ash. Whatever they did to you, whatever Nick and his group did to you; I'll find a way to fix it. I promise," she said, reaching out to take my hands, but I managed to side step her. "Stop this nonsense, Asher. It's like you're afraid to touch me or something."

"I just can't, Mary, I can't," I said, turning and freezing. Nick and Jareth stood there. I couldn't read Nick's face, but I knew it wasn't good.

"Yes you can," she said. I didn't answer. Nick nodded for me to follow him as they walked back inside. I sighed and walked back inside the school.

I sat by the Lake later that day. The houses of our families sat behind me and the calmness of the Lake was semi soothing as I watched the pine trees on the other side of the Lake sway with the slight breeze. I sighed and stopped trying to keep my shaggy bangs from falling in my eyes.

I looked up as I heard the others down a few yards, messing around with a soccer ball, kicking it around and playing keep away from Jareth. I looked away and sighed. I hadn't wanted anything that these people had forced on me, but they also allowed it to be easier. Nick wasn't the ass playing the bad guy, I was the ass trying to make his life a hell by denying everything they said.

"Asher," Jessyca called, standing a ways away from them. I looked at her and her dark curls. She looked at me and nodded for me to come over. "Come here."

I sighed and looked at her, but she kept giving me a look. I decided that it's best not to deny her. She's the one who, no matter how nice she was, still always managed to get you to cave in and do what she wants. That was how her mother acted. Her brother? He was a different story.

"What?" I asked as I walked up to her, shoving my hands into my pockets. She shrugged and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.

"You just looked lonely," she said, shrugging.

"Watch out, Jess!" Nick called as Jareth aimed a ball right for her head. She yelped and ducked right before it sailed over her head. Jareth snickered and high fived Matt. Sawyer was missing, probably at the hospital doing what Nick had asked him to. Lexi was there, though, but she stood a ways away from the group.

"We're going for a hike tomorrow, you in?" Jessyca asked, looking at me. I blinked and shrugged.

"Sure," I said, shrugging. She smiled.

"Good because you were coming rather you liked it or not," she said. I smiled slightly at her and caught the ball automatically that Nick threw at me and then joined them.


	5. Chapter Three

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I walked down the hall, doing the routine I used the first day Tyler had been placed in a room. I stuck to the shadows until I reached his room and opened the door and stopped dead in my tracks. A dark haired boy sat in the chair next to Tyler's bed, staring at the floor blankly. He didn't even look up when I opened the door.

I hadn't seen Sawyer Young away from Nick's little clique for months. He looked the same, slightly more tired, but he was still the brown haired, green eyed boy who used to be Tyler's best friend. It amazed me that it took this to bring Sawyer back. I remembered all of mine and Tyler's weekends had been spent hanging out at the dark haired kid's house. Of course, that'd also been three or four months ago. Even then it had seemed as though he was pulling away from us.

"Saw?" I whispered, stepping towards him. His head snapped up as though someone had hit him. I saw that he looked even more tired than I though. "What are you doing here?" Sawyer stood and fumbled with his phone when he realized that I was blocking the exit.

"I…um…I needed…I was just stopping by for a minute. I have to go now," he said, stepping to go around me, but I caught his wrist and he flinched as though I'd stabbed him or something. I stared at him in shock. "I'm sorry, Mary Ellen, but I have to go."

"Why? Is Nick calling you?" I asked with it coming out a bit colder than I meant for it to. He looked away.

"Don't judge until you have all the facts, Mary Ellen," he said, pulling his wrist away, but I still blocked his exit.

"Then what is the facts, Saw?" I challenged. He glanced at Tyler's form. I winced. He looked like he was sleeping, not fighting for his life. I caught a look at Sawyers face. It looked like he knew that, but that he also knows something else. "Saw? What do you know?" Sawyer shook his head and the look faded, left by an expression that I couldn't read.

"I can't stay. I have…I have to go get ready for the hike tomorrow," he muttered, brushing past. I turned around in time to watch his tall frame disappear out the door and down the hall.

I sunk down into the chair next to Tyler and looked at him and away, putting my head in my hands with a groan. If only I knew what was going on in Tyler's head, and if only he could tell me. I looked at him before burying my face in the arm that wasn't hurt of his.

I shut the door to my house later that night and turned around to see my dad sitting at the kitchen table with papers spread around him. He looked up as I entered. I avoided his eyes as I went to the sink, wishing that my mom wasn't working midnights again. I brushed my hair out of my eyes as I fixed a cup of water and turned to leave.

"Mare," Bill said as I started to leave. I stopped in mid step and turned. He was looking down at the papers around him.

"Yeah?" I asked, taking a drink of my water.

"I was reviewing the statements that you gave the police. It seems as though you think he didn't try to kill himself as the other reports from his friends show. They claim that he's been distant for the past few weeks, missing some school because he was sick. I know he's your boyfriend, hon, but were there problems at home with his family? Any bullying or any reason he would want to kill himself?" Bill asked, looking at me. I set my jaw and turned completely around.

"He didn't try to kill himself, Dad. You know his parents and you know Ty. He was sick; you know that because you saw him when he was sick. And, who would bully Ty? They weren't there, Dad, so they don't know what happened," I said. He rubbed his temples. He looked at me again.

"I just need to get these stories straightened out, Mare, you know that. If there'd been anyone else able to take it, then I would have given it to them and just been there for you," he said. I slid into the chair across from him. He looked up at me suddenly. "I love you so much, honey. Can…can you just tell me what happened, again?" I looked down at my cup of water, realizing that I'd neglected it.

"I just told him that going over the edge was…stupid. But, he kept insisting that it wasn't that far down when it was about a fifty foot drop into a gulley, filled with rocks. There wasn't a safe way to get down without falling or getting hurt.

"I told him just to take the path down, and then he started getting mad about me obeying the rules and all. I was begging at that time to get him to stay. He said something about my curfew and I told him to…screw it. I didn't want him to do it and…and then he was acting all shocked about me saying to break the rules and all. He took one step back, just one, and he fell over the cliff," I whispered. My dad was silent and the only sound in the house was the ticking of the clock.

"I'm sorry you had to witness it, Mare," Bill said, clearing his throat as the phone rang. Our eyes both shot to it. "Can you get that?" I nodded and sighed as I walked over to the phone.

"Hello?" I asked after picking it up. There was a scratching sound on the other end of the line.

"Mary Ellen? It's John Young. Is your dad around?" the man on the other end asked. I froze. Why was Sawyer's dad calling? "Mary?" I shook my head and came out of my daze.

"Yeah, he's here," I said, handing over the phone and fleeing the room.

I slumped against the wall, listening as I heard my dad ask how Sawyer was doing and then him saying that's too bad. I wondered what was going on down at that Lake where they all lived. I wondered what happened in that little close knit clique. I also wanted to know why Sawyer had been in to see Tyler today. Sure, they'd been best friends, but he'd dropped him like a match when Nick's friends called. When he'd hurt the guy that'd been like his brother.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stood and turned to go up the stairs when I heard something that caught my attention.

"There's seven? I don't know if that's a good idea, John…yes, I understand that Nick's helped Sawyer with the things that you can't…yeah, I get it, but there' something off about them…Hiking trip? All day?...Well…whatever floats their boat, I guess," my dad said. I frowned and was about ready to turn. "Just tell them to be careful out in the woods. You don't know what's out there."

I walked up the stairs and curled up on my bed. Asher had been my best friend and today I saw a change in him. I saw him ready to tell me what had been going on, but something had caused him not to. And, when Nick had appeared in the doorway, it was almost as though he was afraid to be around me. It almost seemed as though he was afraid of Nick or something.

I stared at the wall next to my bed as I waited for sleep to take over. Maybe I'd convince Grayson and Alyssa to go to the Lake tomorrow and maybe I'd actually be able to talk to someone, anyone. Even if it was Jareth, Nick's henchmen, it'd be better than nothing. And, with that thought, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up the next morning with the odd feeling that I was being watched I shot up in bed and saw Grayson and Alyssa staring at me. I sunk under my covers and pulled them over my head as Grayson sat down next to me and Alyssa threw my curtains open. I groaned at her, rolling onto the opposite side and burying my face in my pillow as Grayson snickered and shook my arm.

"Come on, hon, up and atom!" Grayson said. I kicked him, not moving other wise.

"Darlin, if we're going to go for a hike, I would like to be back before dark. This chick doesn't go hiking in the dark," Alyssa said, throwing the covers off me. I grumbled at her and curled up in a ball. "Mare, it's ten o'clock, time to get up and get out of the house."

"I have been out of the house," I muttered as Grayson picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I protested.

"Nope, hon, you're getting up rather you like it or not," he said, carrying me down the hall to the bathroom and pushing me in. I opened my mouth to protest when Alyssa threw a pair of holy jeans and a black tank top into the bathroom.

"You have ten minutes or we're coming in," Alyssa said as Grayson closed the door. I heard them laughing outside as I sighed and turned. I might as well get ready since they were doing this for me.

I stood there, though, and looked at my reflection. I wandered why Tyler had even started dating me, why I was friends with Asher, Sawyer, and Grayson even though they were "the popular boys". Well, I'd thought I was friends with Asher and Sawyer. Maybe they'd just been hanging out with us because of Tyler. After all, he was the reason I even started talking to them. Grayson, on the other hand, I'd met on the first day of kindergarten and we'd instantly clicked.

I sunk to the floor, wondering when everything had suddenly gotten complicated. When I had started being weary around my dad because he was a cop, when my mom had suddenly started working over time, when, at the same time, Tyler had started dating me, when I became friends with Sawyer and Asher, when everything just went downhill. People think that Tyler tried to kill himself? They can go on ahead and think like that, but he didn't try to kill himself. I knew that. No one else had been there but me and the forest.

"Come on, Mare!" Alyssa said, knocking on the door. "You have three minutes before we knock the door in!" I sighed and stood. I stripped off my pajamas before pulling on the jeans and tank top and ran a brush through my hair before opening the door.

"See, I'm ready," I said, walking out into the hall. Alyssa rolled her eyes and Grayson rolled his eyes and pushed off the wall.

"About time," he said jokingly and we walked downstairs.

I climbed out of Grayson's jeep after the fifteen minute drive and stretched. There was little room in his car, so I had felt my legs start to cramp before we were even out of town. Alyssa yawned as she got out and Grayson locked it. I brushed my hair from my eyes and turned to grab my hoodie from the back of the jeep.

I turned around and suddenly Grayson and Alyssa were all the way over by the hiking trail. Ditchers. I hurried to catch up with them, dodging everyone else at the Lake and then ran smack into someone.

"Sorry," I muttered, looking up at the tall boy. I found myself looking straight into Nick's eyes.

"It's alright," he said. I pushed myself to my feet with a nod and walked past him, glancing over my shoulder to see him group up with the other boys. He turned around right before he reached the group. "How's Tyler?" I looked at him before shrugging.

"Same," I replied, speaking up so the wind didn't take my voice. He nodded and turned. I hurried over to Alyssa and Grayson.

"What did he want?" Alyssa asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing," I said, walking to the trail.


	6. Chapter Four

**Tyler Solomon**

I was surrounded by darkness as I lay there. It felt as though my body was on fire. I didn't know if that's what it was supposed to be like when you lay in a coma. That's, after all, what I'd heard the doctor say. I also heard Sawyer and Mary Ellen's conversation. I could hear…it just felt like they were so far away, so distant and just out of my reach. I wanted to reach out and touch Mary Ellen's hand and say that everything would be alright, that I was okay. But I couldn't. I wasn't even sure if I was okay.

How can one tell if they are okay or not? If they are truly fine? How can you tell if they are hurting? I knew I was hurting, but was I emotionally or just physically? I knew that Mary Ellen was hurting, inside and out, no matter what face she put on or what façade. I couldn't see her, but when she talked to me, I could tell. I could. I could hear it in her voice, I could hear the shakiness of her voice and the shaking of her hand as she took mine. She wasn't fine and I knew that she missed me. I knew that she missed Asher and Sawyer, so did I, but there wasn't anything I could do to help that.

I had the feeling that the burning feeling I felt in my body was from what Sawyer had been keeping from Mary Ellen during his visit. I didn't know what he had meant, but I knew it was something big. I also figured that it had something to do with why he and Asher and everyone else had suddenly became Nick's friend. I figured that it also had to do with what had happened to Nick when he'd missed that month of school. It wasn't a good feeling.

When I lay there in the darkness, I fought off all the things in the shadows and focused on the good things. I had a lot of time to think. Sure, my mind would go to sleep since my body still needed it and I still dreamed, but I also had time when I could have a lapse from the darkness and be able to think. Everyone needed time to think, but I didn't think they needed as much time as I had to think.

I didn't have anything else to do, though. I could go to the horrors that hid in the shadows like the night I'd fallen into the darkness. I saw Mary Ellen's horrified face as I had fallen over the cliff. I had seen her beautiful face stricken with worry and horror. I also saw all my nightmares and worst feels there. I vowed to never go back to that place and I had broken through the darkness and did just that: I never went back. I couldn't go back. I couldn't face that again.

I always tried to break through the darkness, but I never managed. It was probably my body telling me that I needed to remain in the darkness in order to heal. I wanted so yell screw my health. I didn't want to be in the darkness anymore, hurting my friends and family. I didn't like the darkness and wanted out. I just wanted the easy way out, but that's what I always wanted, though.


	7. Chapter Five

**Asher Sigo**

"Asher! Come on in, but careful, Bill's here," John Young said as I knocked on the door at his house. We were grouping up there and I could already sense Nick and Sawyer.

"Okay," I said, stepping into the Young's four bedroom, two bath home and into the small hallway that lead to the kitchen where the others were. I walked down the hall with him following me and into the kitchen just as they broke out into laughter.

John looked up as I entered and he looked the same as I remembered: his dark hair streaked lightly with gray hair, the wrinkles starting to form on his face, and the childish look in his green eyes. He was a man in his late forties, but he also still acted like a child. I remembered how him and Mary Ellen had the same patience and temper, which was why they butted heads all the time.

"Hey, Asher," John said, eyeing me slightly. I looked away. Of course he blamed me for leaving his daughter. He didn't know the truth.

"Where's the others?" I asked Nick. He sat at the table across from John, toying with the dog tags, inside joke, that hung around his neck. He looked up as I spoke to him.

"Lexi's not coming," he said.

"No surprise there," Sawyer grumbled and earned a disapproving look from his dad.

"Matt and Jessyca just pulled in and Jareth is running an errand, so he should be a tad bit late," Nick replied, leaning back in the chair and stretching. I leaned against the wall as Jessyca and Matt walked in. Jessyca gave Bill her sweet smile and patted Nick's head. He rolled his eyes at her.

"How's Nicky?" Jessyca asked, grabbing a cup from the cupboard and walking over to the sink. Matt stood uncomfortably in the door way and the tension between Jessyca and Matt was full force through the bond.

"I'm graduating this year, Jess, don't you think it's time to stop calling me Nicky?" Nick asked, resting his elbows back on the table. She rolled her eyes as she turned around.

"I'm going to call you Nicky until you're an old man," she said, taking a drink of her water.

"How's Mary Ellen?" Matt asked. Nick looked at him. I kept my gaze on the woods behind the house and Sawyer stared at the ground. I could feel the tension building between Nick and Matt already.

"She's…hanging in there," Bill replied. I could feel his gaze on me now, as though he blamed me for his daughter's unhappiness.

If John had his way, I would have been with Mary Ellen and not Tyler. He didn't exactly like Tyler. Mostly because Bill didn't get along with Tyler's dad. It also may have had to do with the fact that he was friends with my dad. He seemed to think that Tyler was untrustworthy and I could almost sense that he was telling me that I needed to be around more. It wasn't as though I could, though.

"There's a new family that's moved in," John said, dissolving the tension as he sat down in a chair. "Just about a mile out of town, I heard."

"In the old Wess home?" Nick asked, frowning. I looked up as there was confusion that ran through the bond. John nodded.

"That's what I heard. Maybe it's just a rumor, though," he said, but I could tell it wasn't a rumor.

"Any clue who it is?" Matt asked. John shook his head.

"No, but I have a feeling of what they may be doing here," he said. We all shifted uncomfortably and I felt Bill's eyes trailing over each of us. "Have you guys all forgotten about Oliver Hopkins?"

"Oliver? He hasn't been around for around a month, John. We kind of thought…" Nick trailed off with a shrug. John shook his head.

"He was asking the other day," he replied. Nick nodded slowly. "You should take him with you today."

"We're getting larger," Sawyer muttered under his breath, only loud enough that our ears picked up on it. Nick gave a slight nod.

"What are you talking about?" Bill asked, causing all of us to jump. We exchanged glances.

"Just…plans, Bill, just plans. We forgot about him being in our plans," Matt said. Jessyca rolled her eyes and took a drink of her water and the kitchen lapsed into silence.

I stood on the front porch of Sawyer's house and yawned, tired from the lack of sleep I'd been getting. I felt Bill eyeing me as he and John talked in the yard. A black haired boy I didn't know appeared suddenly beside of Nick. Nick didn't look surprised, though. In fact, he barely even glanced at Oliver Hopkins.

Jareth pulled up a moment later and hopped out of the truck. I tucked my own dog tags beneath my shirt, catching Bill eyeing them. I watched Jareth walk up and stand beside us on the porch. I sighed and sat down on the porch swing as I waited for Nick's order to move out. I figured he would since Jareth was there now, but he didn't. He just stood on the porch, watching the road until a yellow sports car pulled up and Lexi emerged, shutting the door and scowling.

"Glad you came, Lex," Nick said quietly. She rolled her eyes.

"Did I have a choice?" she asked coldly. He didn't reply.

"Let's go," he said. I followed the other seven off the porch and towards the Lake front.

I shoved my hands into my pockets as Jessyca and Matt fell into step on either side of me. Nick and Jareth lead the way with Sawyer a few steps behind them. And, behind me, Lexi and Oliver trudged. Oliver's presence had something in it that I couldn't place. It was like he wanted to be there, but then again he didn't. t made my head spin, so I focused on the B.O.B. song that Jessyca was humming under her breath. All the swirl of the other's thoughts were getting to me.

"Nick, who's moving into the old Wess place?" Lexi asked finally, breaking the silence as we trudged up the trail. Nick was silent for a moment before pausing on top of a hill that overlooked the Lake. We stood behind him, waiting for his answer.

"The black ones," he said finally. I was confused, but Jareth set his jaw and Jessyca and Matt exchanged glances as Lexi and Oliver shifted uncomfortably. "I should have known they'd come soon enough. How long can a new pack go without being discovered? They despise us, you know?"

"Who exactly are the black ones?" Sawyer asked beside me. Nick looked at him.

"They're pure black wolves," he replied, looking away. "They're eyes are even black. Some of their hearts are cold, but not all of them. They have a soul; they just choose to live differently than us.

"We butted heads with them, the older packs, I mean, a while ago. The Elder's said it was all about territory. They're territorial and hate when another pack invades their land. That's what makes them different than us. They…they'll kill if they have to. Even one of their own kind," Nick said.

"There's a legend," Jareth said. "The Elders tell it every year at one of their council meetings. They say that the Black Ones invaded our land one time. They said it was their land, but we've been here, our packs have been here, ever since this country was discovered and even before then, it was our land.

"They fought us for that land. Many of the members of our pack were lost, but a select few lived. Our ancestors, the people who were the great-grandparents of our grandparents, and so on. They killed because they thought we were invading their own land when it had been ours all along. We fought back and the strong lived.

"That's what makes the pack as strong as it is right now. We have our ancestors blood running through our veins, giving us the strength to fight. My father said that there has only been one other incident with the Black Ones, one where they lost. They realize that we're stronger, but they're back now. And they have more people on their side," Jareth finished.

"But, that's why it's so important that we help Tyler make it through the change. We need him and the Black Ones know that. Perhaps they were here, in the woods, that night when he was hurt. Perhaps they want us to be weaklings. But we aren't week. Our blood courses through everyone's veins at the Lake, as does our ancestors. If we need a larger pack, they will join. That's why it's important for us to stick together and not involve anyone else if we can help us. We can't bring danger to the other people here. We can't allow them to get hurt because of our ancestors," Nick said.

"We're growing stronger and more powerful with each generation, though. Even with that, though, I'm not sure that we're going to be able to stand up to them if we have to. We need Tyler, he's strong. I can see it in his mind even if you cannot. We have to get to him before the Black Ones do. That's why I'm going to start sending people to the hospital regularly. He's too valuable to lose," Nick said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"So…this is why you called me back?" Oliver asked. Nick just kept looking at the trees beyond us before he replied.

"Yes, Oliver, that's why I called you back. That's also why I ordered Lexi to come on this hike, for Asher to leave Mary Ellen, for Sawyer to leave his best friend, for Matt to avoid Jessyca before her change, and why Jareth and I stuck together. We need to be at our best and we can't have anyone else to distract us," Nick said, setting his jaw. We fell silent as the wind rattled the leaves on the trees. We didn't know what we were getting into, but we were going to do our damned best to do our best.


	8. Chapter Six

_**Three Weeks Later**_

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I walked down the hall of the hospital to the room Tyler had been moved into a step down unit to free up space in the ICU. I pushed open the door and looked wearily at the flowers in my hand. It felt odd to take flowers to my boyfriend in the hospital. Wasn't the guy supposed to bring the flowers? I didn't know. I just hoped he was a fan of daisies.

I put the vase down by the sink and threw open the curtains and looked over the town of Brooke. I brushed my hair from my face as I watched the snow flurries fly. Yeah, it was snowing, but according to the weather people, it wasn't supposed to stick. I turned and looked at Tyler, his cuts and bruises were healing even though he wasn't awake. He looked almost like his old self…just lying unconscious in the hospital.

"Well, Ty, it's Saturday and snowing. The weather people say it's not supposed to stick, but what do they know? They live an hour and a half away and in the middle of a city. How would they know what it's like here?" I asked, smoothing his hair from his forehead before straightening his blankets. "You've been popular," I said, straightening up as I took in the cards and flowers. I frowned and walked over to a bouquet.

I looked at the bouquet of orchids and then frowned as I looked at the wooden animal placed in them. I gently removed it from the dirt and found that it was a wooden, hand carved figurine in the shape of a wolf. I frowned. Who in the world would give that to him? I opened the card and read the printed cursive writing: Nick, Asher, Jareth, Sawyer, Matt, Jessyca, Lexi, and Oliver. I pursed my lips. Figured it was from them. I put the figurine and wolf back before turning.

I jumped as the door opened and a boy stood there. I hadn't seen him anywhere but beside of Nick. His six five frame stood uncomfortably in the doorway; his dark hair was littered with snow, making him look as though he had dandruff. His green eyes showed his discomfort. I relaxed slightly next to Tyler's bed, but I didn't know exactly why Jareth Snow was visiting Tyler. I'd never seen them talk before.

"Hello," I said, clearing my throat. He looked at me and then around the room before his eyes landed back on me.

"Hi," he said, shifting in the doorway. "I was just…dropping by." I nodded. He looked at Tyler and then sunk down into a chair near the door. "How…how's he doing?"

"He's hanging in there," I replied, sitting down in the other chair. He nodded and jumped as his phone buzzed. I wondered why he was so jumpy. He replied back.

"That's good," he said. I caught a glimpse at the dog tags that hung around his neck, wandering what they were for. "Nick's coming…if you wanted to be warned or prepared or whatever." I nodded silently, still wondering what the heck they were here for and why the others had been here, about one every day. My favorite out of the people I'd just met was Jessyca.

"Oh," I murmured as Nick Pieterse appeared in the doorway with his blonde hair in his eyes.

"Hello," he said, glancing at Jareth and then at Tyler, as though he was trying to get inside of Ty's head. I saw the imprint of the dog tags beneath Nick's shirt as well.

I watched Nick walk over to the window and look outside. I knew what he was looking at: the view from the window showed everything from the town to the Lake about ten, fifteen minutes out of town. Well, you could see a town with a thousand people and the Lake easily from the tenth floor of the hospital. I could even see my house, no joking, and the police station. The high school was also seen off to the left, not currently hidden behind the trees since the leaves were nearly gone.

I watched his outline as he looked out the window. I saw the muscles, even beneath his shirt. I saw how his muscles were relaxed for once, unlike the other times I'd seen him. I'd never seen him relaxed before. He always looked…tense. But now, as I watched him, I saw that he was capable of not being a complete…ass.

"Nice day, eh?" Nick asked, filling the silence. I jumped slightly, though, at the sound of his voice. "Did you enjoy your hike a few days ago, Mary Ellen?" He turned and I was able to see the tiredness that filled the faces of all his friends. I glanced at Jareth, who looked about ready to fall asleep sitting there.

"It was…pleasant," I said, choosing my words carefully. He nodded and leaned against the window sill.

"That's good," he said, glancing at Jareth. "Ours was nice too, wasn't it?" Jareth's eyes opened and he looked at Nick and nodded.

"Yeah, nice," he said. I eyed him for a moment before looking away.

"Why are you here?" I asked Nick finally. He looked at me before rubbing his temples.

"There's something…special about Tyler, don't you think?" he asked, speaking slowly. "And, he was friends with my friends, so Jareth and I decided to drop by."

"Along with all of your other little friends?" I asked, noting how Asher was the only one who didn't stop by. He shrugged and didn't reply.

I sighed and looked at Tyler and watched his chest rise and fall. It seemed as though he was getting better each day. The doctors were saying now that he could wake up at any given moment, though no one really knew for sure. They said it was hard to tell, given that he even woke up at all. I didn't want to think about that possibility, though. I just wanted him to finally wake up and I kept hoping that, as I watched him, he would.

I brushed a strand of hair from my eyes and swallowed the lump that hadn't formed in my throat for weeks. Why did I choose to be weak when Nick and Jareth just happened to be there? I felt Nick's eyes on me and I willed myself to not be weak. Why couldn't I just stay strong?

"Well, if you'll excuse us. We haven't had lunch yet," Nick said. I nodded, not speaking. I was just glad they were leaving. "I'm sure I'll see you around, Mary Ellen." I watched him leave with a creepy feeling that he was true.

"You're going, Mare, and I'm not letting you back out," Alyssa said stubbornly as we stood in Deb's, trying on dresses for the fall dance. I rolled my eyes and slumped into a chair. "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing's wrong…I just don't want to go, you know? There's one person I want to go with…and he can't," I said, shrugging as I stared at my reflection in the mirror across from me. She sighed and sat down.

"Hon, he's going to wake up soon. You won't be going through this shitty mood anymore once he does wake up," she said, squeezing my hand. "Besides, Grayson and I will be there. We have your back, Mare, and we're not going to ditch you like…everyone else." I looked at her and caught a glimpse at a blonde girl and a dark haired girl. Jessyca was laughing as she held up a zebra print dress while the other girl, one I didn't know, scowled at her. "Mare?"

"Huh?" I asked, turning back to Alyssa, but she'd already caught what I was looking at.

"Don't worry about them, Mary, they just think they're better than everyone else," she said as Grayson walked in with a bag of donuts, earning a disapproving look from the salesperson, but no one dared to say a word because of his build.

"Who thinks they're better than everyone else?" Grayson asked, sitting down into a chair with ease and opening the bag.

"You," Alyssa said, standing and holding the sequin cheetah charmuse pickup dress in front of her as she inspected herself in the mirror. "I am so getting this."

"It looks nice on you," another voice chimed in, causing the three of us to jump and look at Jessyca. "Sorry. You should get the black pickup dress, Mary Ellen; it'd look nice on you."

"Um…thanks," I said, looking at the dress that hung on the dressing room door in front of me. Alyssa and Grayson exchanged glances. I looked up as Jessyca turned to leave. "Nick and Jareth were at the hospital today." She turned around, a soft smile on her face.

"Yeah, I know. Nick thinks that we need to…pay our respects to him, seeing as he's friends with Sawyer, Asher, and a few others at the Lake. He said it was only fitting," she said with a shrug. I noticed the other girl didn't move to speak. She glanced at her also. "Lexi, say hello. Nick wouldn't appreciate you being rude to people."

"Hello," Lexi said icily. I could immediately tell why everyone else avoided her.

"We just stopped by to pick up our dress orders for the dance. You are coming to Jareth's after party, aren't you?" she asked. I blinked.

"We weren't invited," I said. She frowned and furrowed her brow.

"Well then, you're invited now. If anyone says anything, tell them to come find me," she said, brushing a strand of her hair from her eyes. "We'd better get going. Nick will be wondering where we were. They're going to look so odd in tux's." She and Lexi exchanged a secret glance. I caught a glance at the dog tags around their necks.

"I have a question, Jessyca," I said, standing. She looked at me.

"What is it?" she asked, tossing her bangs from her face with a toss of her head. Alyssa and Grayson exchanged glances.

"What do the dog tags around all of your necks represent?" I asked. She blinked, suddenly looking on guard for the first time as Lexi gave me, if possible, a colder look. "If you don't mind me asking is all."

"Inside joke," she said quickly. "It's a Lake thing." She turned. "We have to go, don't we Lexi? Goodbye." I watched as they turned and went to pay for their purchases and then quickly duck out of the store.

"What was that all about?" Alyssa asked. I shook my head.

"I don't know," I murmured. I brushed my hair from my eyes and turned. "Let's just get back to shopping. Did you get your things for the dance, Grayson?" He nodded.

"Yep, paid for and in the car," he said, stretching his long legs out. "Wake me up when you're finished." I smiled at him and then ducked into a changing room. Moments later I heard Alyssa duck in too. I was going to find out the people from the Lake's secrets. One way or another.


	9. Chapter Seven

**Asher Sigo**

I stood on the back porch of Sawyer's home, watching the people mingle in the back yard. It was Saturday night and Sawyer's father had decided to throw a party. I saw Bill and Mary Ellen standing by a tree wrapped in Christmas lights, talking to John. I straightened up as I watched Jareth, Nick, and Matt throw a football between each other. Jessyca was mingling with people, Oliver was sitting in a chair next to the fire, looking half asleep, Lexi was inside helping with the food, and I saw Jessyca's two friends there also, standing together on the outskirts of the party, observing.

I walked down the steps of the porch and towards Nick and the others. I avoided Bill's eyes, figuring that if I looked at him, then he would beckon me over. I didn't want to face Mary Ellen yet. I hadn't talked to her since that day at school. I'd been following Nick's orders and avoiding her. I didn't want to talk to her, though, so it was easy to listen to Nick. I'd been to see Tyler; everyone in the pack knew that because I missed patrolling sometimes to go see him. I didn't want to run into anyone. I'd narrowly dodged Mary Ellen's mom one day. I'd ducked into the bathroom before she could talk to me.

I sat down on the ground by where Nick, Jareth, and Matt were. Oliver had wondered over, along with Sawyer. I hadn't seen him and wondered where he'd even come from. Probably from helping his mom in the house.

"You know something? The story of the Three Little Pigs shows all the things that a wolf can't do and shows that we're just…evil," Oliver said. I frowned and looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Did you know that there's like a sequel thing? The wolf person dude explains why he was innocent, when he really wasn't," Sawyer said. I glanced at both of them like they were crazy. "What? It's the truth!"

"I don't even want to know how you guys know this," I said, shaking my head. They smirked at each other.

"You must have been a deprived child then," Sawyer said.

"Don't even know that there was another Three Little Pigs book," Oliver said, scoffing. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I was so deprived that I didn't know there was a sequel to the Three Little Pigs," I said, shaking my head. They were utterly insane.

"Why are you talking about the Three Little Pigs?" Nick asked, turning towards us, but still managing to catch the ball Matt threw to him.

"Yes, yes we are," Sawyer said. Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Is this all I'm going to hear about tonight?" he asked. Sawyer and Oliver exchanged looks.

"Maybe…" Sawyer said. Nick threw the ball to me and I caught it with ease.

"Three on three," Nick said. I exchanged glances with the other two before standing.

"You're on," I said, tossing the ball to Matt.

I sat in a lawn chair with a hot dog on a plate; not really touching it because I'd already ate a ton of them. I watched the fire crackle as Nick and Jessyca exchanged their horror dates with the others chiming in. By now, Jessyca and her friends had ventured over to the fire, but still stood a ways away. Nick was talking about the time that he and Jessyca had dated, both claiming it'd been the worst dating experience of their lives.

I put my plate on the ground, not wanting to eat it. I yawned and sat back in the chair. I had my stomach full, and like on Thanksgiving, I was ready for bed, but I still had patrol to do tonight since the Black Ones were moving in any day now. We had to make sure that they were staying on their own territory or else we were going to give them the same treatment they'd given our ancestors years ago.

I watched the others joke around and found myself already used to the familiarity of their joking. Sure, I'd hated being around them at first, but you got used to them when they heard your every thought and you had to listen to theirs. Quite frankly, though, it did get on your nerves at times because they knew everything about you.

"The pasta date had to be the worse," Jessyca said with a groan.

"You were the one to suggest it," Nick pointed out.

"But I didn't think you'd spill it all over yourself and me!" she said. I smiled slightly, used to their banter, but I could tell Mary Ellen, Alyssa, and Grayson weren't.

"I didn't spill it! You're the one who knocked over the glass of water and I went to save it!" he said. I shook my head and settled back into the lawn chair. "I mean, honestly!"

"Nick, question," Jareth said, breaking their argument. Nick looked at him, a smile still on his lips. "Who's going tonight? Obviously, we can't all go." I studied my hands and waited for Nick's reply.

"Asher has to get caught up on his and…maybe you and Oliver?" Nick said, taking a chip off Jessyca's plate and eating it.

"I guess that works," Jareth said. I knew I had to patrol because I'd missed a couple.

"Cool," Nick said and turned back to his and Jessyca's conversation. I stood and walked over to the cooler that had drinks in it.

I looked up and saw Sawyer across from me, grabbing some chips. He looked up and met my eye, nodding to the left where I felt Mary Ellen's eyes on me. I knew that Jareth and the others had forgotten about them, but also that they didn't know what we were talking about. I nodded slightly back at him.

"You crashing here tonight after you get back?" Sawyer asked, walking over. I shrugged. "You're welcome if you want to, you know." I nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I don't know if I'll be in late or what. I don't think that my parents would appreciate me getting back super late and waking them up," I said.

"Or early," Sawyer pointed out. I nodded.

"We have time for a story before a few of our party members have to take off," John said, causing all conversations to stop. "So, grab a chair and pull it up around the fire and we can start. Just remember, these are pure legends. Some things have gotten mixed up in the years." A murmur started throughout the crowd.

"Wait for it to end," Nick's voice said. Even though I'd heard him, his lips had barely moved. I moved over to the fire and reclaimed the chair I'd had before.

"You all situated?" John asked as he eased himself into a chair a few moments later. A murmur of yes's ran through the crowd. He nodded. "Good. Nick, would you like to start or shall Jareth?" Nick looked up, clearing his throat and clearly not expecting that.

"Me?" he asked, looking at John, who nodded.

"Go ahead," he said, resting his hands on his stomach. Nick shook his head to clear his thoughts before looking at the fire as he spoke.

"There are many legends of how the Lake People started. They've been handed down for centuries, each time they are told differently, but they all have the same basic facts. Every story has facts that are wrong, but each story follows a similar plot, rather or not the facts are entirely true.

"It is said that one night; just on the hill behind this house, a howl erupted, followed by several others. The Lake people had never heard a wolves howling around the Lake before and immediately panicked. The men gathered their guns, the women gathered their children. The men met in the town square with every weapon they had been able to find. The women stayed in the houses, locked up tight and safely as the men went to find their wolf.

"They walked the trails all night long, only coming across the wolf's tracks occasionally, never finding them exactly. They once heard a howl, just above them and looked up to see a grey wolf standing beside a larger black wolf, both directly below the full moon. The men shot at the wolves, even believing to have harmed them.

"They went back the next morning and there was not a single trace of the wolves. They quickly shot down the belief of it being a figment of imagination, seeing as though there'd been three different men. They went out again, the next night, to find the wolves. But, something was different this night. One of the men's, who'd seen the wolves, daughter snuck out as her mother was in the loft.

"The girl walked through the woods stealthily and quietly, not making a single sound. She believed her father, knowing that her father was not one to make such things up. Her father was also one of the leaders of the Lake people. She was one of the most respected women in the village.

"She turned as she heard growls around her. Her body felt as though it was on fire and her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she met the wolves' eyes. It struck the girl how much they looked like a large dog. She saw humanity in the wolves' eyes. She didn't think they were monsters or killers, but rather that they were simply mislead.

"She didn't move as the wolf stepped towards her. It was the same wolf that her father had seen. The black wolf looked at the girl. He walked a circle around her, the girl not moving at all, deciding to trust it. She swallowed as she saw the wolf back in front of her.

"The girl watched before her own eyes as the wolf changed from a wolf to a teenage boy. He was around sixteen years old and he looked at the girl. She gasped as she realized who it was: her own flesh in blood brother. He didn't speak, he just kept watching her.

"The girl decided that she couldn't allow her father to kill her own brother, her father's own son. She stepped to the boy and said clearly and strongly, 'Take me as your own and I will not allow them to harm you.' Her brother looked at her before a sad smile crossed his face, 'You do not realize that you are already one of us? The pounding of your heart, the sudden heat that came over you as you came closer to us? The way that your head is hurting now and your body feels as though it is on fire? You are turning into one of us, sister. It runs through your veins.' She is said to have stared at her brother in shock, not believing a word he said. After all, it was supposed to be impossible for a man to change into an animal.

"The girl is to have said to run away, running back to the village as fast as she could have. She'd seen a beast change into a man before her eyes, but she couldn't imagine herself this way. She didn't even imagine it as her father sat at the breakfast table, speaking of their plans to go find the beast.

"After thinking of it, the girl suddenly decided what she had to do. In order to protect her people, she had to embrace this beast that was taking over her. She couldn't allow her father to harm her brother or for anyone else to harm her people. Beast or not, they were still her people and she was going to protect them.

"That night, a full moon, she went in search of the beasts and found it easier than the first time. This time, though, they were waiting for her. She looked the black wolf in the eye and thought the words: I will not allow harm to come to my people.

"It felt as though her body was on fire as she went through the change. She felt her heart's beating double, her body's temperature rise, her eyes burn, and her head throb. Her heart was quickening its pace to fit the body of the wolf inside her, filling her human form. The reason for her body temperature was the same: a dog's body was simply hotter. Her eyes were burning because she had to adapt to a dogs eyes, her head had to adjust to the telepathy that connected the packs minds. She was becoming one of them.

"The daughter had become one of the pack. She had done it to save her people, and save them she did. They set up their patrolling routes so that they could patrol their borders and keep their people safe from the enemies of their pack safely. The Lake people never again did spot the wolves. They kept to themselves and was never bothered again," Nick concluded. I sat back in my chair. It'd been the second time I'd heard it, but it still struck home.

There was a murmur that ran through the crowd with clapping following it, but not one member of the pack acknowledged it, or the fact that our friends were watching us, the ones we'd abandoned. I felt Mary Ellen's eyes on mine, along with Grayson and Alyssa. It was only a slight annoyance in my mind, though. I felt, though, the effect of the story on the pack. All of it.

"You should go, guys," Nick said, breaking the tension of the bond. "It's getting late and there's a lot to be done."

I glanced at Jareth and Oliver, who both had a tired look on their faces as they stood. I placed my plate on the ground and stretched before turning. Mary Ellen stood there, catching me off guard. I ran a hand through my hair and we stood there for a moment, looking at each other.

"Can we talk?" she asked. I looked at her and then Nick.

"I can't," I said, turning away from Nick's set face. "I have to go." I went to go around her.

"I asked if you could talk, not if you were allowed," she said quietly. I didn't turn.

"Things aren't as simple as they used to be, Mary Ellen," I said and followed Jareth and Olive away.


	10. Chapter Eight

**Jareth Snow**

I shivered as I felt my body adjust to the change. I rolled my head and suddenly everything was more heightened. I could feel my ears pick up even more sounds than before, my nose could smell everything, my body was more alert and more compact. I just felt…better.

I always felt better when I was in my wolf form, though. I couldn't explain the feeling I had when I was shifted. It just made me feel better, stronger. I felt more like me, like I was meant to be like this and not walking around on two legs. Technically, I was meant to be like this. Just not intentionally.

I often wondered what it would feel like to be a teenager as a human. It'd be odd. If it was odd as a werewolf, then it would be really odd as a human. At least the pack had each other. Some may not understand the closeness of us, but we had each other. We needed each other to survive, in our human forms or our wolf forms. We were like brothers and we stuck together, rather we wanted to or not.

_"Jareth."_

_ "What, Oliver?" _I asked. There was never a break between our minds, even when we were humans.

_"Someone's on our land, and it's not one of our pack," _Oliver sent back. I could hear Asher running beside me, not having ventured far enough into the woods because the change still took longer for him and I'd waited on him. Oliver, on the other hand, had no patience.

_"Someone, as in human?" _Asher asked.

_"Someone as in a werewolf. Tres wolves to be exact. Think they're the ones that Nick was talking about?" _Oliver asked as Asher and I slowed to a trot. I slowed down even more and felt Asher's eyes on me. _"Jareth?"_

_ "Stay where you are, Oliver. Asher's going to come meet you and I'm going to get the others," _I sent to him. Asher gave me a look, but I ignored him and waited until he was on his way to Oliver before spinning and running back towards Sawyers at full speed.

I didn't know exactly how to do this. It'd take longer to stop, change, find Nick, stop, change, and then go find Asher and Oliver. I already had them pinpointed from the images they saw in their mind, so I went for another tactic, one that was going to scare the shit out of the guests.

I ran up the hill to the one behind Sawyer's home. I shivered again, this time it was more from anticipation than the good feeling of shifting. I opened my mouth and an ear piercing howl left my mouth. I did that twice and then fell silent, listening. I hoped that it hadn't alerted the other pack. They would think it was a regular wolf. Hopefully.

A few minutes, I heard five separate howls, none at the same time. I turned, satisfied, and ran to them, feeling the bond of our minds growing stronger as I came closer to them.

I fell in step slightly behind Nick as I found him and we ran to the image of the woods we saw in Oliver and Asher's minds. I glanced to my left to see Matt flanking Nick on the other side. I didn't have to turn to sense the other three directly behind us with Sawyer between Jessyca and Lexi.

We came up to Oliver and Asher and stood there in the darkness, but seeing as though it was day. We watched the three pure black wolves in front of us. They were larger than us, more aggressive looking and also looking more battered, like they'd been living in the woods.

We watched them as they sniffed along the forest floor. They were definitely our land, something that Nick and the Elders were not going to be impressed by. They didn't seem to notice us, but then, if they had been living in the woods, they would have seen us as a regular pack of well fed wolves. But, if they had looked closely, they would have seen the differences of us. They would have seen something different.

We watched them move farther back from us, moving back to the other side of where our territory started. We slowly followed them, not making a sound as we stealthily moved. We watched them go back onto their own territory. And then, we watched the Black Ones change back into their human forms. They were three teenage boys, all blonde and looked the same. We didn't move and they never noticed us.

_"What are they doing on our land?" _Jessyca asked, finally someone actually speaking the thing that we were all thinking.

_"I don't know," _Nick replied coldly. _"But, I'm going to make it our job to find out. We need a plan." _We listened to his thoughts as we slowly made our way back towards the Lake.

_"We're going to school at the Lake?" _Asher asked, hearing one of his thoughts.

_"We aren't going to school at all, Asher. We're taking a leave from school until we figure something out. It's clear the Black Ones are after something, not Tyler. Maybe they're after one of us. We won't know unless we manage to find out. For sure," _Nick said grimly.

_"And how exactly do we do that?" _Matt asked. Nick looked at him.

_"I still have to figure that much out," _Nick replied. We fell silent as we ran back towards Sawyers.

_"Nick?" _Lexi asked from the back of the pack as we slowed down outside of Sawyer's back yard. Nick turned to look at her. _"We're not going to let them kick our ass, are we?"_

_ "No, Lexi, we're not," _Nick said. I rolled my eyes and shifted back, each of us at our own pace and then pulling on our clothes.

I ran a hand through my hair as I walked towards Sawyer's house. The party had died down to only the close friends. I pulled on a hoodie as we walked towards Sawyer's house, where the party seemed to have moved to except for a few stragglers. I pushed open the door and we emerged into the kitchen, probably not looking too impressive when covered in mud.

"What happened to you seven? Find a mud puddle to roll in?" John asked, tossing us towels. I caught mine with ease and sunk down onto a kitchen trail.

"Worse," Nick said, rubbing the towel through his hair, but not elaborating since Bill and his daughter were in the kitchen. John looked at him before nodding and walking over to the sink.

I stared out the window, aware of how silent the woods were, even to my ears. I had the feeling, as did the others, that there was something bigger than the seven of us, something much larger than a pack of teenage boys. It was something much larger than even the Lake, even if there wasn't that many Black Ones. Maybe it wasn't the Black Ones that were larger than us, but it felt like there was something, that there was something way bigger. Something maybe we couldn't even handle.

I sat back in the chair, feeling how the tension filled the room, even if there was seven of us, Bill, Mary Ellen, and John. I watched the boys I'd grown up with, the people who felt like they were my own family and that they were my siblings and I didn't go home to just my mother. I watched as Nick leaned against the wall, looking half asleep, Asher watching Mary Ellen out of the corner of his eye, Sawyer watching his dad, Jessyca and Lexi were talking in hushed whispers, Oliver leaned against the counter lazily, and Matt was watching his sister with the brotherly look. I felt closure, like I often did around them.

I tossed the towel that John had given me into the pile with the others and yawned, stretching out my six foot five frame. I hadn't gotten much sleep lately with all the patrols, but I had to adjust. That's all there was to it. I ran a hand through my hair and wondered into the living room, feeling Nick follow me, as did Matt. We were the first three. Nick was Alpha, I was his Beta, and Matt had Nick's right flank. We had each other's backs, like we always had.

"What are we going to do?" Matt asked quietly so it would only come out as a murmur to Bill and Mary Ellen. Nick shrugged and shook his head.

"I have no clue," he murmured. I stared at the floor, resting my head in my hands. "All I know to do is to keep an eye on the borders. We have to do something if they come on our territory again because they know of the boundaries. They aren't stupid. Anyone who can smell another wolf knows to stay away."

"But what if they're testing us? What if they're trying to make us lose control and give them an actual reason to attack, Nick? What then?" I asked, looking at him. He was staring at the wall.

"It's better to be safe than sorry, Jareth. If they have to attack us, so be it. It's better us than the town. We're only seven people, eight with Tyler. That's only eight people that the town will lose. They'd mourn and then move on, only a bench or something in our honor. We'll die, to the Lake people, as heroes," Nick replied. I scoffed.

"Heroes? Honestly, Nick? We're not heroes. People think that wolves are murders, Nick," I growled, not realizing that my voice was rising. "How the hell would we die as heroes then?"

"Keep your voice down, Jareth," Matt warned.

"No one will know what we are, Jareth, our people made it so. We were sworn, even before we were born, to never truly tell a person who we are. We will die as heroes, to our people."

"Stop talking about us dying, Nick! We can beat them, you know that as well as I do," I hissed. "You're always talking as though we should think as though we're not going to die. Is this you backing out on your own words? Is it, Nick?" I stared him dead in the eye, demanding him to either challenge me or answer.

"I'm not saying we're going to die," he said calmly.

"Then stop freaking acting like we are," I said, standing abruptly. "I'm going home to catch up on the sleep I've missed."

"Are you blaming that on me too, now, Jareth?" Nick asked. Matt sat there silently, used to our arguing.

"I'm not blaming anyone for anything," I said through gritted teeth as I turned.

"Then stop telling me what to do and yelling. It won't do any good, Jareth," Nick said right as I left. "None of it will." I pushed past Sawyer in the kitchen and out into the coolness of the night. I needed to breathe. I just needed to breathe.


	11. Chapter Nine

**Tyler Solomon**

I could now feel every pain in my body. It started with my head, which throbbed. It worked its way down to my arms, one of which I was sure I couldn't even feel. Then, it moved to my ribs, on to my leg and then to my feet. It sucked. Suddenly I wished for the blackness. That would be just fine. I would feel a lot better if that's what I got.

I felt the heaviness of my eyes lessen. I frowned mentally. Should they feel like that? I didn't think so, but I tried against the little heaviness that was left. I failed the first few times, but I kept feeling closer to breaking through. I kept trying, determined not to give up with Mary Ellen's image in my mind.

I blinked, suddenly blinded by the light coming through the window. I heard the beeping of some machine located next to my bed and realized that I wasn't alone. I lay there and tried to get accustomed to everything around me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable in the scratchy hospital gown and under the scratchy sheets.

I lay there, still, even after the other boy in the room turned. I blinked and frowned, taking in his shaggy hair, height, and the face I hadn't seen in months. Well, close up I hadn't seen it. Asher looked back at me silently. He looked slightly speechless and a little shocked that I was awake. Perhaps he hadn't thought he'd be there when I did wake up.

"Hey," I said, finding my voice and, to my shock, it was hoarse. But, I guess it would be if it hadn't been used for…however long I'd been unconscious or whatever.

"Hey," Asher said finally, sinking into the chair next to the bed. "Should…should I go get someone?"

"Just wait a moment," I said, feeling tired as I lay back in the pillows and trying to ignore the pains in my body. He nodded and was silent. "What are you doing here?" I looked at him. He sighed.

"I...I've been coming at night. It's the only time I don't run into anyone," he said, staring at the floor. "Things have gotten complicated, Ty, and…now you get to be involved in it." He looked up at me finally. I was frowning, confused, but that also may have had to do with the fact that my mind was still adjusting to being awake.

"What…what do you mean, Ash, I'm not following," I said, staring at him. He shook his head.

"Nick will explain it all later. Just rest for now," he said, starting to stand. I caught his wrist weakly.

"What does Nick have to do with anything and what the hell are you talking about?" I asked. He took my hand off of his wrist and shook his head.

"Just rest, Ty, get better. I'll go get a nurse," he said, turning.

"If Nick explains…no more secrets between us?" I asked, missing the guy who used to be like my brother. He turned and gave me a slight smile.

"No more secrets," he replied and was gone. I settled back into the pillows, not even planning to think about it right then. He was right, I needed to get better.


	12. Chapter Ten

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I fidgeted with my dress while checking my text messages outside of the school gym. I wasn't ready to face the people in there who all knew what was going on. I wasn't ready to go in there and see Asher and his "pack" in there. It was just too much. I needed to wrap my head around things first and then face them.

I brushed a strand of hair from my eyes and shivered. Why did West Virginia nights have to be cold? I wrapped my arms around myself and could already feel my feet starting to ache. I sighed and decided that it was best to just walk in there. I would spend a few hours with my friends and then escape to be with my boyfriend.

I turned off my cell and slipped it into my clutch before walking slowly towards the school. I was half dreading to go in and half not wanting to wear the heels that Alyssa insisted that I wear. I sighed and pushed open the school door and walked down the hall towards the gym, where I could already hear the music and feel the bass' beat. I brushed my hair from my eyes and walked through a pack of freshmen on my way into the gym.

I stopped in the doorway and surveyed the surrounding. I saw all the faces that I went to school with, that I had known since kindergarten. I also saw a few unfamiliar faces. They weren't people's dates, but a pack of boys standing over by the refreshment tables. I turned and looked to my left and saw Nick and his gang standing against the wall, half hidden in the shadows. They too were watching the new people, but the looks on their faces were…frightening.

I remembered the story Nick had told the previous night at the party. It sent shivers down my spine, especially after hearing the wolves in the woods and John ushering all of us into the house with a slightly worried look on his face for an instant. But, in that short time period, I had felt that there was something behind that face, a story that went with the story that we had all been told. It was a story that no one wanted to tell.

I walked into the gym and headed towards the refreshment table. It wasn't that I was curious of the new kids, but rather that I saw that Grayson and Alyssa were waiting for me over there. I was half way across the gym when I felt a slightly warm hand on my wrist. This hand was warmer than a regular person's. I turned and found myself looking up into Asher and Sawyer's eyes. Did any of them not travel in a group?

"Hey," was all I said. I was going to let them do the conversation part because I was always stuck doing it. Asher and Sawyer exchanged a look, a look I didn't know what it meant. Was it good? Bad? Did I want to know?

"Hey," Sawyer said finally, nudging Asher. Asher gave him a look. I had the feeling that Asher didn't want to be doing this because Jessyca walked over and hooked her arms through both of theirs.

"They were wondering if you would like a drink," she said, speaking for them. "Well…Asher was wondering if you were thirsty since you were heading to the refreshment table and Sawyer said he should go find out, so here they both are, looking like total and complete idiots."

"Don't you have a date, Jess?" Asher asked, looking at her with a cold look. She shrugged it off, unaffected.

"Jareth is sulking because of his little argument with Nick last night," she said simply. I looked at the dark haired boy next to Nick. He did seem a little ticked. Matt, on Nick's other side, was watching Jessyca closely while Nick was looking at something past me. Lexi was nowhere in sight, but perhaps she had a date. "Or would you prefer that one of these idiots danced with you?"

"I'm fine, really. I was just…going to go meet up with Grayson and Alyssa," I said, nodding slightly and turning.

"Wait," Asher said quietly, but I still heard it. I stopped walking, but still had my back to him. "Did you go see Tyler last night?" Bingo. I turned slightly and shook my head.

"I had to go home. It was getting late and my dad was worried that I wouldn't be safe at the hospital even though my mom works there," I replied softly. He looked at me and nodded.

"You should go tonight," he said and turned. I frowned as I watched them walk away. I turned and walked towards Alyssa and Grayson.

"What did Nick's minions want?" Alyssa asked as I reached her. I shrugged and leaned against the table.

"Nothing much," I replied. She eyed me, but nodded slightly.

I looked up as a blonde boy approached me. It was one of the new kids. His shaggy hair was falling into his eyes, his brown eyes were like a puppy dog's, huge and innocent. I took in his height, six foot and smallest of the group he'd been with. I took in his muscled, compact body. I took in the way his lightly tanned skin looked against his white dress shirt and dress pants. I smiled slightly when he smiled, able to clearly see his white, straight teeth.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked with an accent as though he was from Texas. I heard Alyssa suck in a breath and nudge me. I smiled softly.

"Sure," I said, mesmerized by his beauty as he took my hand and lead me onto the dance floor as Sleeping at Last's Turning Page started playing. "I'm Mary Ellen Mercer." He smiled down at me.

"I know who you are, Mary Ellen. People at this school talk nothing else than of you. I'm Evan Westholder," he replied. I nodded the name unfamiliar. "My family and I moved here from Dallas." He pulled me to him, resting his hands on the small of my back as I reached up and wrapped mine around his neck.

"I've always lived here," I replied. He looked down at me and nodded.

"That's cool."

"What brought you here?" I asked. He looked down at me, a ghost of a smile on his face. I watched him.

"We needed…a change of lifestyle," he replied. I looked at him and nodded slowly. "My brothers and I, I mean."

"They're your brothers?" I asked. He opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't because a tanned hand was clasped on Evan's shoulder.

"May I have a dance with her?" Matt asked. He looked menacing and handsome at the same time. I frowned. I would have thought Asher or Sawyer would have asked me to dance first. Evan glanced at me.

"Of course," he said. The two locked eyes before Evan retreated and Matt's hands replaced his. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You look handsome, Matthew," I said, looking at him. He looked down at me. He did look handsome. His solid black attire made him have a mysterious look, as well as making him look handsome.

"Thank you, Mary Ellen. You look nice," he said, but something was off with him.

"Thanks," I said. We swayed to the music, silent. "If you wanted a dance, all you had to do was ask for one. You didn't have to cut in." He looked down at me.

"Yes, I did have to cut in," he replied. I frowned, confused, but he was watching something else. He wasn't looking at me. I frowned and turned us around so I could see what he was looking at. Evan and his brothers had been in a glaring competition with Nick and the others.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, not sure if he could hear me over the music. He looked down at me and shook his head, spinning us again.

"Nothing's wrong," he replied. I didn't have that feeling, though, but I let it drop. There was something obviously going on and I was being left out of it.

"You're coming to Jareth's party," Jessyca said sternly as I stood with Grayson and Alyssa by the school exit. "It'll be fun, Mare, promise. You don't have to stay long, just come!" She took my hands and had a begging look in her eyes. "You _cannot_ leave me alone with all those boys and Lexi. I mean, they may be cute and all, but I don't want to be the only girl…with Lexi. It's just…weird."

"I'd have to call my dad and all. I told him I'd be home by eleven," I said. I dreaded calling my dad because, since he was a cop, he had all these questions he asked. Will it be chaperoned? Is there going to be drinking? When will you be home? Are you going alone? Who are you going with? And the list continued.

"I'll call him. It'll work out. Please, Mare, you have to come," she said, ignoring the impatient looks her friends were giving her. I sighed and looked at Alyssa and Grayson. They shrugged.

"Fine, I'll come," I replied. Jessyca squealed and smiled as I cringed. She hooked her arms through mine and Alyssa.

"This is going to be amazing," she said, sighing. I acknowledged that Nick, Jareth, and Matt had slipped away. If it was Jareth's party, shouldn't he be going?

"Um…where are they going?" I asked Jessyca. She looked at them and her smile faltered slightly, but it quickly reappeared.

"They're going to be a little late, but they'll be there," she said, tugging us towards Grayson's Jeep.


	13. Chapter Eleven

**Tyler Solomon**

I was pretending to be asleep when I heard the door open. I couldn't sleep. I didn't know why, but I couldn't. I opened my eyes and looked at the three people who entered my room. Nick, Matt, and Jareth. I half expected Asher to appear, but then again, he'd told me that they'd be the ones to come. I'd been waiting for them all night. Maybe that's why I couldn't sleep or rest or whatever.

One thing I did want to know was how they managed to get in. The nurses wouldn't even let my parents see me for longer than ten minutes. I knew that Mary Ellen's mom was even stricter. Then again, how did she manage to get in when she wasn't family? They seemed to break a lot of hospital rules, but never got busted. Maybe because Mary Ellen's mom was high up in the rankings and maybe the others got in because they looked…well, threatening with their tall builds.

"You've been waiting," Nick said. I looked at him and frowned. Was he a mind reader or something? I started to move to sit up, but decided against it. I was supposed to lay still and rest and all that crap. I didn't want to move, but my body was used to movement and was keyed up already.

"Yeah, I guess I have," I said, looking at him. The only light in the room was coming from a small lamp above the sink and it made everything look even creepier.

"It's not a bad thing. It happens to everyone in our pack," Nick said. I caught the word back and frowned. He looked at me with an arched eyebrow. "Are you ready to find out who and what we are, Tyler Solomon? Or do you need more rest first?"

"He's been awake for a day, Nick, maybe we should come back," Matt said. Nick held up his hand and silenced him.

"Let him decide," Jareth said. I could tell from Nick's face that he spoke the words that Nick was going to say.

"I want to hear. You've already told me too much for me to say no," I said, watching to see their faces, and, to my shock, I could see them clearly in the darkness.

"If you insist," Nick said, leaning forward. "There's a legend, Tyler, that is similar to the one we tell at bonfires, but it's a little bit different and Jareth is going to tell the different version." He nodded at Jareth, who sat down in a chair and nodded.

"There are many legends of how the Lake People started," Jareth began. "They've been handed down for centuries, each time they are told differently, but they all have the same basic facts. Every story has facts that are wrong, but each story follows a similar plot, rather or not the facts are entirely true. This time, when I tell the story, it's going to have all the right facts.

"One night; just on the hill behind Sawyer's home, a howl erupted, followed by several others. The Lake people had never heard a wolves howling around the Lake before and immediately panicked. The wolves were have said to be seen at night, and only night. There had never been a den or anything found that supported where they slept and called home, which baffled the locals. After hearing the wolves, the men gathered their guns, the women gathered their children. The men met in the town square with every weapon they had been able to find, which would render useless. The women stayed in the houses, locked up tight and safely as the men went to find their wolf. The wolf, was in fact, something that could not easily be killed, not without the proper skill, training, and tools.

"They walked the trails all night long, only coming across the wolf's tracks occasionally, never finding them exactly. The wolves moved with such lightness and quickness that it was hard to pin point their exact location. They once heard a howl, just above them and looked up to see a grey wolf standing beside a larger black wolf, both directly below the full moon. They found it ironic that the wolves stood under the full moon, but the tales of a man changing into a wolf had never been exactly clarified and dismissed the idea. The men shot at the wolves, even believing to have harmed them. But, of course, that was impossible to do.

"They went back the next morning and there was not a single trace of the wolves. The wolves were never seen in the daylight, though, and they quickly shot down the belief of it being a figment of imagination, seeing as though there'd been three different men who had spotted the werewolves. They went out again, the next night, to find the wolves. But, something was different this night. One of the men's, who'd seen the wolves, daughter snuck out as her mother was in the loft. This daughter was different than the rest of the girls in the village. The parents of the daughter knew this, as well, but didn't understand it.

"The girl walked through the woods stealthily and quietly, not making a single sound. She walked as the wolves did, quickly and lightness. She believed her father, knowing that her father was not one to make such things up. She was determined to find out what happened that night, to find out what these creatures truly were. Little did she know, her brother was not at home. Her mother believed that he had gone with the men, but he hadn't. He was elsewhere in the woods. Her father was also one of the leaders of the Lake people. She was one of the most respected women in the village because of that.

"She turned as she heard growls around her. Her body felt as though it was on fire and her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she met the wolves' eyes. She didn't understand it. It was something that she had never, ever felt before. In a way, though, it felt good to her. It struck the girl how much the wolves looked like a large dog. She saw humanity in the wolves' eyes. She didn't think they were monsters or killers, but rather that they were simply mislead. They were wrongly accused, she believed. In a way, though, she felt as though they were protecting their people, not planning to harm them.

"She didn't move as the wolf stepped towards her. It was the same wolf that her father had seen, she realized. The black wolf looked at the girl. He walked a circle around her, the girl not moving at all, deciding to trust it. She swallowed as she saw the wolf back in front of her. She didn't know if it was safe to trust the wolves, but something in her mind told her it was the best thing to do, the safest thing to do.

"The girl watched before her own eyes as the wolf changed from a wolf to a teenage boy. He was around sixteen years old and he looked at the girl. He looked at her with a gentle, yet weary look. She gasped as she realized who it was: her own flesh in blood brother. He didn't speak, he just kept watching her. She didn't understand it at first, but then it suddenly made sense.

"Her brother was absent at night often and it made sense now. She realized where he had been when the wolves had been spotted, when her family had believed that he was with the men. It made sense, now, that the men had not had him with them and how her brother had taken his punishment for sneaking out silently. She realized why he was tired all the time. He never got any rest because he was protecting their people. She realized that her brother was a good person. He wasn't the enemy there.

"The girl decided that she couldn't allow her father to kill her own brother, her father's own flesh and blood son. She stepped to the boy and said clearly and strongly, 'Take me as your own and I will not allow them to harm you.' Her brother looked at her before a sad smile crossed his face, 'You do not realize that you are already one of us? The pounding of your heart, the sudden heat that came over you as you came closer to us? The way that your head is hurting now and your body feels as though it is on fire? You are turning into one of us, sister. It runs through your veins.' She is said to have stared at her brother in shock, not believing a word he said. After all, it was supposed to be impossible for a man to change into an animal. But, after thinking about it, it made sense. It all made sense and everything fell into place. But, she was only fifteen, and it scared her.

"The girl ran away, running back to the village as fast as she could have. She'd seen a beast change into a man before her eyes, but she couldn't imagine herself this way. She didn't even imagine it as her father sat at the breakfast table, speaking of their plans to go find the beast. She knew that it was her duty, but she didn't want to be the beast. When she had wanted them to take her, she meant as a human. She hadn't possibly thought that she could be…one of them.

"After thinking about it, the girl suddenly decided what she had to do. In order to protect her people, she had to embrace this beast that was taking over her. She couldn't allow her father to harm her brother or for anyone else to harm her people. Beast or not, they were still her people and she was going to protect them. She loved the people in the village and she loved her family. She was torn, but she knew her people came first. Her people always came first.

"That night, a full moon, she went in search of the beasts and found it easier than the first time. This time, though, they were waiting for her. She looked the black wolf in the eye and thought the words: I will not allow harm to come to my people. She didn't want her people to be harmed. She would allow herself to become a werewolf, a man wolf, in order for her family and friends to be safe. She needed for them to be safe.

"It felt as though her body was on fire as she went through the change. She felt her heart beating double, her body's temperature rise, her eyes burn, and her head throb. Her heart was quickening its pace to fit the body of the wolf inside her, filling her human form. The reason for her body temperature was plain and simple: a dog's body was simply hotter. Her eyes were burning because she had to adapt to a dogs eyes, her head had to adjust to the telepathy that connected the packs minds. She was becoming one of them.

"The daughter had become one of the pack. She had done it to save her people, and save them she did. They set up their patrolling routes so that they could patrol their borders and keep their people safe from the enemies of their pack safely. The Lake people never again did spot the wolves. The wolves hid themselves well after the daughter joined. They learned the peoples hunting schedules and remained home until the men returned and then patrolled the borders. They kept to themselves and was never bothered again," Jareth said the last line softly.


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Jareth Snow**

We sat there in silence, waiting for how Tyler would take it. At first, I saw shock fill his face, then confusion, and finally understanding. I could faintly hear everything running through his mind because he was so close to changing, so close to needing to change. I knew that Nick and Matt felt it too. I felt their worry and fear through the bond. Worry for him not to make the change, and fear that it would kill him.

"So…is that the truth? The reason that Sawyer and Asher left me and Mary Ellen? The reason they began hanging out with you?" Tyler asked finally. Nick nodded.

"Yeah, that's exactly why," he said, leaning against the window sill.

"There's one other thing, Tyler," Matt said. He waited a moment for Nick's permission.

"Go on, it's best he finds out now than later," Nick said. Matt nodded and looked at Tyler.

"You can't see Mary Ellen again. It'll only put her in harms' way because there are now people here who would do anything to have you on their side. They'd do anything to have any of us on their side. That's why we have to isolate ourselves. One day, though, you can be with her again. Just, not right now. It's too dangerous," Matt said. We watched Tyler's confused, and then pained face.

"I…I can't even see my girlfriend anymore?" he asked. Matt shook his head.

"Nick had to leave Jessyca, I had to shut out my family, and Jareth has to take the shit his mom gives him," Matt said. "There are consequences, Tyler, it doesn't come without them. Nothing does. Some of them are good, some are bad. We just have to go with it and see where we get."

"I…I need to think about this," Tyler said.

"There's nothing to think about, Tyler. You don't have a choice. This runs in your blood, it's in your genes. You became this when you were born. This is your destiny. You wouldn't have to go through this if they said people weren't around. It would have just been me, Matt, and Jareth to protect to Lake people. But, we have threats now and we need a bigger pack," Nick replied. Tyler stared at him before looking at the ceiling.

"Let him rest," Matt said quietly. "It's a lot for him to take in, especially when he's this weak." Nick looked at him and clearly didn't want to leave, but nodded anyways.

"Just…heal, Tyler. It's for your own good," Nick said before we filed out after him.

I watched the people at my house as we pulled up in front of it. I vaguely saw them. What I saw, however, was what was going through Nick's head. I was kind of not thinking about anything, so I figured that was where my mind went to because it was bored.

"Get out of my head, Jareth," Nick said as he shut off the engine. I looked at him.

"Sorry," I said. He shook his head and got out. I landed lightly on my feet and stretched.

"Well, Jar, you throw a good party," Matt said, yawning. "It's as though we missed the beginning it was so fun." I raised my eyebrow and looked him and shook my head.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Matt," I said, walking towards my house.

"Nicolas," Jessyca said, pushing her way through the crowd. I ignored her and caught the keys to my truck that Nick threw to me and stuffed them into my pocket.

I pushed open the door to my house and immediately had to dodge a fight. What the hell happened? I left Jessyca and Oliver in charge and this is what I get? I looked around the house. Yeah, my mom was going to kill me for the mess. Matt, beside me, shook his head and let out a low whistle.

"That's going to be hell to clean up," he said.

"No kidding," I muttered, pushing the fight outside. My mom would freak if something got broke.

I walked into the living room, which was a little bit better, and observed the people in there. I frowned. Who invited Tyler's girlfriend. I turned and watched Jessyca walk towards Mary Ellen. Figured. I'd talk to her later.

I walked through the people to the back door and observed it out there. Only a few people. Everyone must have been inside, then. At least it wasn't a big party. That much, I could give to Jessyca and Oliver. I ran a hand through my hair and started gathering the plates. There was no way I'd have time to do this after everyone was gone.

"We should ask Mary Ellen who the Black One she danced with was," Matt said, leaning against the wall next to me. I glanced around and rested my gaze on Mary Ellen and then Matt again.

"I donno…you'd have to ask Nick about that. He's big on keeping the 'people of Brooke, West Virginia' out of this," I said, dumping the plates into the trash.

"She wouldn't be involved. If we just had a name, Jareth, that would be a big help," Matt insisted. I straightened and looked at him.

"Look, Matt, I'm not the Alpha. I don't make these decisions. You'd have to ask Nick tonight. You're been in the pack for a year, you should know this by now," I said. He shrugged.

"You became a member of the pack in less than a month after Nick. You could have been Alpha," he pointed out. I watched him before shrugging.

"But I'm not. Go talk to Nick, get his opinion," I said, bending over to pick up a pile of cups.

"I will," I heard Matt say and straightened after he walked away. I shook my head and turned away. I threw the cups in the trash and sunk down into a chair, thinking.

I walked outside and stood on the porch. I needed to breathe. I just needed out of that stuffy house. I didn't understand why, that night, I needed to be suddenly outside. I felt a rush of relief, though, as I stood on the porch. Still, though, something wasn't right. Something just felt…off. I found my eyes adjusting to the darkness and there it was.

I saw eyes staring back at me, located at the edge of the forest. It was just a pair of eyes, but it was definitely a werewolf. I didn't call for help, however. We just stood there, staring at each other. I knew that I should call for Nick, but something held me back. I didn't understand it.

I watched as the wolf changed into the boy from the dance. He stood there and waited for me. I knew he wanted me to approach him. Something moved my feet forwards, even though I knew it was wrong.

"Jareth," Lexi said, appearing from nowhere. I stopped and turned, seeing the boy disappear.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Nick's looking for you. We're all running patrol tonight. Well, Oliver's going to make sure everyone gets out before he comes and Jessyca's going to the hospital," she said. I blinked. Patrol, right.

"Oh…yeah, I think I remember him saying that," I said and followed her back to where the others stood.

"Ready?" Nick asked. We nodded silently and went to the woods.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I walked down the hall to the hospital later that night. I told my dad that I was going to help mom out with paper work, which I had, but now I had free time before she got off work, so I headed to visit Tyler.

Mom hadn't been able to give me information about Tyler's condition because she wasn't allowed to tell, even if she did know, and he wasn't her patient. I had to see for myself, or so she told me. She actually gave me permission to go to his room, even though I wasn't family, but only for a little bit. I couldn't stay long because it might "cause him to become unstable".

I pushed open the room's door and stopped. Jessyca sat in a chair next to his bed, talking to…Tyler. He looked up as I entered, looking slightly tired and battered, but he was still my Tyler. Why hadn't anyone told me he was awake? I pulled out my phone and turned it on. Sure enough, there was a text from his mom.

I put my phone away and found them both watching me, Tyler looked a little sad while watching me, but I didn't understand why. Jessyca looked away silently. It was as though there was something going on between them. I had never seen the group split up like this, but they were. I was confused. Why was Jessyca here? Why wasn't Asher or even Sawyer here?

"Hey," I said, smiling at Tyler the best that I could. He took a deep breath.

"Hey," he said, still sounding tired. I sat down in a different chair.

"How are you feeling?"I asked. I didn't know what to say with Jessyca there. He gave me a one shoulder shrug. "You still mad at me or something?" I saw him look at Jessyca out of the corner of his eye and saw her nod slightly out of the corner of mine.

"In a way, yeah, I'm mad," he muttered, staring at his hands, which were balled in fists. Jessyca stared at the floor.

"Why?" I asked, confused. He looked up at me and shook his head.

"You wouldn't understand, Mary Ellen. It has to do…it has to do with other things," he said, looking me dead in the eye. I stared at him, shocked. "I…I don't want to see you, Mary Ellen. I need some time to myself, some time to think. You need…you need to move on and stop worrying about me and my health. I can take care of myself. I'm not five."

"I'm well aware of that, Tyler," I said, not feeling upset, but angry. "I've spent the past month and a half here by your side and this is how you treat me? I barely even know that you're awake for five minutes and already they're pulling you to their side! Don't you realize how alone I've been for the past month and a half? Don't you?! I was the one who got you help, Tyler. Not them. You didn't even _like!"_

"Mary Ellen," he said, in a controlled voice, "I think that it's best if you just leave and not hurt yourself. Yelling at me isn't going to change things. You don't even know Nick and them. You only know Asher and Sawyer because of me and even then, you didn't meet the real them. Just go, okay, Mary Ellen? Don't make this even harder."

"If it's hard, then why are you doing this?" I asked, standing. "I don't understand, Tyler. I thought you loved me. I…I thought that I loved you too. Maybe not now, not after the way you've treated me. I was worried for you, even afraid for you. Maybe that was all stupid if this was how you were going to treat me. Maybe I was just stupid to think I even had a chance with you!" I gathered my things and walked quickly towards the door.

"Wait, Mary Ellen," he said, but I was already walking away. The door shut between us as I hurried down the hall and brushing tears from my eyes.

I felt as though I had not only shut the door on Tyler, but that I'd shut the door on my heart. I felt as though I had closed myself off from the rest of the world. Generally, that's exactly what I had done. I didn't want to see or talk to anyone, afraid that they would, too, hurt me like Tyler had.

I had spent all that time with him, all that time worrying. I thought I was being a good girlfriend, even before he was hurt. Apparently, though, I hadn't been. If I had been, then he wouldn't have said the words that he just said to me. He wouldn't have shut me out and let them in. I despised them even more than I did him. They took him from me; they did this to him and our relationship. I wasn't going to forgive them. Ever.

"You don't look…happy," a heavily accented voice said as I sat at lunch on Monday. I looked up and saw Evan standing there. He was, to my shock, alone. He often was with his siblings, but not today. Alyssa and Grayson dropped their trays on the table next to me, eyeing him.

"I am happy," I said, straightening up. He shook his head and sat down.

"Then smile if you're happy. What's up?" he asked. It was hard to believe I'd just met him Saturday, but we'd spent all day Sunday texting. I hadn't told him about Tyler and wasn't sure to tell him or not.

"She got dumped by an ass," Alyssa said. I shot her a look. She shrugged. "It's the truth."

"And the person who is the ass would be…Tyler?" he asked, taking a bite of the slop on his tray, not seeming affected by the taste. I stared at him. "He's a popular topic here. Especially by that group." He nodded in the direction of where Nick sat, but today it was only Asher, Sawyer, and Lexi. The others were missing. No surprise.

"Of course he's popular. He was before he fell off the cliff and he was even more after people started thinking he tried to commit suicide," Grayson pointed out.

"If he wants to be an ass, Mare, then just let him," Evan said. I didn't look at him. "Any guy who treats someone like you that way doesn't deserve you. You deserve better."

"You've known her for two days, Evan, no offense or anything, but I don't think you can decide anything for her," Alyssa said, pushing her food away. Evan merely shrugged.

"I understand," he said. I watched him, though. I knew he was watching Asher, Sawyer, and Lexi out of the corner of his eye and I didn't understand why.

"Why do I always find you and Nick and them in a staring contest?" I asked suddenly. He looked at me. "I mean, every time I look at them and at you and your brothers, you're either glaring or staring."

"We have our reasons," he said simply. I frowned. "Just like how you won't tell anyone, not even Alyssa and Grayson, about what truly happened in the hospital. I simply can't tell you, maybe soon, but not now."

"And why is that?" Alyssa asked. He looked at her.

"Old legends, Alyssa, you just have to know how to decipher them," he said. I frowned, thinking about the legend told at the party and what he had just said. "Of course, though, they are just legends." I eyed him, but he seemed unaffected. "No need to dig so much into them. They're merely for entertainment."

"Uh huh…" I said slowly, still unsure. He shrugged at me, not really saying a thing.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Asher Sigo**

I slammed my locker shut and spun around to see Lexi standing there. Great. It was bad enough I had to suffer through lunch, watching Evan, Alyssa, Sawyer, and Mary Ellen. Now, I had to suffer with Lexi's presence, great.

"I heard that," she said, leaning against the locker next to mine and pretending to look through my Spanish homework.

I ran a hand through my hair. It couldn't be happening. It was bad enough that we had to deal with Tyler practically hating our guts, but we also now had to deal with Mary Ellen hating him, us, and we also had to deal with Mary Ellen hanging out with…Evan.

Jessyca had pulled through before Mary Ellen also started hating her. She managed to get a name from Mary Ellen before taking over staying with Tyler, who was still a little pissed that he had to say what he did to Mare. I didn't blame him. I'd been pissed too when I had to turn away from my friends.

At least, though, he had forgiven me and Sawyer now that he knew why we had to leave him. He understood how it had felt for us, now that he had to turn his back on Mare. He also realized that he would get hell from his parents when he had to patrol and came in late. Though, he did know that he didn't have a choice.

"Ash, get over your pity party because we have other things going on," Lexi said, shoving my binder back. "I am not going to let you mope around while the rest of us have to put up with Nick's orders. Just because you have some shit going on with your life doesn't mean that we want to hear about it day and night."

"You're one to talk, Lexi," I said coldly and watched her flinch.

"I'm over it."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Then why are you bugging us all?" I asked. She blinked and looked away.

"That's beside the point. Just focus on what's going on now, Ash, and focus on everything later," she said. I frowned at her. "I don't even see why you're taking your Spanish when you're supposed to be cleaning your locker out."

"I thought that Nick was joking," I said, leaning against my locker. She snorted.

"Nick doesn't joke anymore, Asher, you know that," she said, shoving me out of the way and opening my locker, figuring the combination from my thoughts. "Let's just get this over with and then everything will go back to normal."

"Yeah, normal. What is that again? What does it feel like?" I asked coldly and emotionlessly. She looked at me.

"Just focus, Asher, you can't let your mind wonder," she said. I looked at her and rolled my eyes before looking away and my eyes landing on Mary Ellen as she watched Sawyer walk towards Lexi and I, his duffel bag stuffed with his shit.

"Yo, mutts, ready?" Sawyer asked, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket and looking at us. "Sucks that Nick and them already moved out. A little bit of warning might have been nice."

"Who got Tyler's stuff?" Lexi asked, pulling me from my daze as she stuffed my things into a duffel bag.

"Tyler?" I asked. Sawyer looked at me.

"Yeah…uh, Nick thinks that since Tyler's a member of the pack now that he needs to be treated the same and does the same. He'll return when we do," Sawyer said, shifting uncomfortably. I nodded slowly and remained silent.

"We should…go get everything straightened out," Lexi said finally. I looked at her and hefted the duffel bag over my shoulder.

"Of course," I muttered and turned. "Speaking of Nick."

We stopped as we watched Nick and Jareth, both dress in shorts and t-shirts, walk towards us. Jareth had a set of keys in his hands. I looked at Mary Ellen and saw that her gaze had darkened. She followed Nick and Jareth's path to me and turned her hard gaze on me.

Clearly, she thought that the entire pack was part of the problem with Tyler. Yeah, of course, we were, but we didn't want her to figure that much out. Like Nick had said, the least amount of people involved the better. But, clearly, Mary Ellen was already a part of this. Clearly, she'd been a part of this since she met Tyler. She just didn't know it.

I could tell by the others set faces that they knew and realized it too. I knew that the fact that if Tyler wasn't out of the hospital by the next full moon, he was in trouble, big trouble. The healing process in his body was quickened, but the doctors had their reasons to keep him. He was getting better each day, but would he get better fast enough? We couldn't lose a member of the pack. We just…couldn't.

"Everything's taken care of," Nick said as he stopped in front of us. I averted my gaze. I found it odd to look at him when Mary Ellen was standing right behind him, but a few feet away. "We can…go now, if you're ready." I looked up at him finally.

"Let's just settle this and get it over with," Sawyer said finally. Lexi and I murmured our agreements and I noted on Jareth's silence.

"Let's go then," Nick said, suddenly looking older. It was his senior year; I didn't blame him for not wanting to put up with this when he was supposed to be having fun. I could tell that he heard my thoughts when he glanced at me over his shoulder.

I looked at Mary Ellen in time to see a hurt expression cross her mind, but she quickly replaced it with the mask she'd been wearing all day. She looked at me a moment before turning away. Before she turned, I caught a glimpse at her eyes. She was planning something.

"If the Black One's don't…reproduce or whatever by it being hereditary…then how do they do it?" Tyler asked. I had to admit it: he looked better today. He was sitting in the chair next to his bed. The doctor's were amazed by how he was recovering so fast. Of course, though, we knew the truth.

"They have to choose their victims and do a blood exchange," Nick replied from over by the window. "It's…like a blood tie or something. Once the blood is placed in a cut or any open wound, then the change takes place. It hurts like hell, even more than our transformation hurts the first time."

"So…it's like a vampire?" Tyler asked.

"In a way," Jareth replied from near the sink. It amazed me how seven of us fit in his small room. "Of course, though, vampires haven't been in this area since our people came here. There's just too many of us and too many legends about them. I'm amazed that even the Black Ones have been brave enough to come back."

"They've been here before? The same pack?" he asked, looking at Jessyca, who sat on his bed. She shrugged.

"Of course. It's not like they get older. Their pack only grows. Evan's the newest member and the most lenient. He doesn't really care, or acknowledge, the rivalry or territorial problem that we have. He's young, he'll learn," Jessyca said simply, moving her hair from her face.

"The main thing is for you to get healed and get out of-" Nick was cut off by the room's door opening. We all looked up to see Mary Ellen's mother step in. She paused in the doorway, caught off guard by the seven of us, five boy and three girls. Lexi had even come along.

"Hello," Mrs. Mercer said as she walked past me towards Tyler. "How are ya'll doing?"

"We're fine, Mrs. Mercer," Nick replied. I stared down at my feet.

"That's good," she said, checking something on one of Tyler's monitors. "I'm going to be taking over your healing process, Ty, now that you're looking better." She looked down at him.

"How long will he be in here?" Matt asked. Mrs. Mercer looked up at him. "I mean, we're just wondering how long it'll be until he's able to kick some ass in soccer."

"It'll be a while, Matt. He'll have to go through therapy and that'll wear him out. He'll be fine, but it'll take time," she said, looking back at Tyler. He looked away. "Right, Tyler? You wouldn't do anything to hurt yourself farther, now would you?"

"Of course not, Mrs. Mercer," Tyler said, looking up at her. She looked at him for a moment before walking towards the door.

"I have other patients to visit," she said and was gone.

We stood there in silence. Outside, the wind threatened to break into the room and the snow came down in sheets. If we weren't wolves, we'd say it was cold, dreadful, and that we were snowed in. But, even in December, we weren't cold, sure, it was dreadful, but it wasn't too bad, and we weren't snowed in when we…wolfed up or whatever.

I leaned farther against the wall. It was starting to get uncomfortable. Leaning against a wall for almost three hours was not a good thing. I was also half asleep, after being out until four in the morning and then getting two hours of sleep, if that, I was about to pass out standing there. That probably wasn't a good thing, though. After all, it was a hospital and I would probably end up being poked and prodded at while strapped to a gurney and tubes were hooked up to me. Yeah, probably best to stay awake.

I looked up as someone laughed softly. Jessyca was smiling at me from hearing my thoughts. I smiled wearily at her, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. I was tired. I didn't really think about the germs, but I really didn't care at that point. Maybe the gurney and poking and prodding wouldn't be so bad after all…at least I'd get caught up on my sleep.

"Go home, Ash," Nick said finally. "You've had less sleep than any of us lately. Jareth and Jessyca can handle patrol tonight." I looked up at him. "Matt will take you home."

"I can go home by myself," I muttered.

"Not when you're about ready to pass out," Jareth said.

"Go home. Your dad wants to speak with you, anyways, but he'll wait until you wake up," Nick said. I looked at him. "Go."

"Fine," I muttered and stood. Matt held out his hand silently for my car keys, which I placed unwillingly in his hand before grabbing my hoodie and following him out the door.


	17. Chapter Fifteen

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I made up my mind, later that day after seeing Asher, Sawyer, and Lexi leave school with everything from their lockers that I was going to talk to Asher. He may not want to, but I was. Besides, I was tired of Bill asking me when I was going to go see Ash. Maybe it was time to do so and stop hiding from him. Well, I wasn't hiding. Maybe it was time for him to stop hiding from me.

I wanted to know what was going on, even if he wasn't talking. How could I get him to, though? How? I wanted to be friends with him and Sawyer again, and fix things with Tyler. I was pissed about them changing him, but I missed him. It felt like there was a hole in my chest that I couldn't fill except when around Tyler, or even Evan.

For some reason, Evan made me forget about everything. His presence…it just did something. I felt…better when I was around him. He was laid back, but he had told us so little about himself. We only knew that he often moved, was from the South, and lived with some adoptive parents and his six adopted brothers. He had not memory of his real parents that he told us of and he had no sisters. He was so outgoing, but yet he wasn't. It was like he had some huge secret or something. It was like he was afraid that something was going to slip.

I brushed my dark hair from my eyes while standing in my pajamas in front of the mirror a week later. It was Sunday. I could smell my mom making coffee in the kitchen and my dad going out to get the paper. A normal day. I sighed and let my hair spill back over my shoulders as I stared at my reflection. I guess I was pretty. No one understood why I was so…unpopular, I guess. I had more friends, but Sawyer and Alyssa had always been there for me. Always.

I looked at the yoga pants and t-shirt that lay on the floor of the bathroom. I'd dumped them there before I had inspected myself in the mirror. I was going to talk to Asher today. I hadn't talked to him, well, had a proper conversation with, for weeks, months maybe. I needed to talk to him alone.

I turned from the mirror and walked over to the shower, turning it up so high that it would probably scald me. I turned it down a little before removing my pj's and getting in. The water relaxed my tense muscles and it felt good. I didn't even mind the steam and the fact that my dad would probably harp at me for it being too hot. I didn't care at that point.

I turned the water off and dried off before pulling my clothes on and attempting to dry and comb my hair. I left it slightly damp, knowing it would curl without me having to. I turned and exited the bathroom. I needed out of this house. I hadn't gone anywhere because I was afraid of running into someone, anyone. It was time to get out.

I grabbed a hoodie from my room on my way out and pulled my hair back into a messy pony tail by using the hair band from around my wrist. I ducked into the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar and hoped Mom didn't see me as I headed towards the door. I didn't want to answer her questions. Thankfully, I made it out without being seen.

I tossed my hoodie into my car and got in. I'd had to start driving again since Tyler hadn't been around to take me to school. I started the car and packed out of the driveway and onto the street. I drove down the road to the familiar winding road that leads to the Lake. I hadn't driven it in a month or so, but it was still familiar. Nothing changed in Brooke.

I pulled up in front of the two story house that was near the lake. I sat there and looked at it. The blinds and curtains were open in every window but one. I knew the room was Asher's because I'd been here almost every day with Tyler. I pulled the keys out of the ignition and caught a glimpse of a figure passing the window and then stopping in front of it. Asher's dad Ben was standing there, but he had his back to me. I figured he was flipping through the channels on the TV or looking for something.

I pulled out my phone to see if anything had been added to Asher's Facebook page and found one: Staying home 2day. Tired. thanks, Nick. Nick had responded: Ur fault, dude. I told u 2 get some rest, but did u listen 2 me? nope. So, Nick and Asher was suddenly buddy, buddy now? I put my phone back in my pocket and got out of the car.

I shivered as the wind that the car had protected me from suddenly hit me. I hurried up the paint chipped stairs to get out of the wind and gently knocked on the door of the house. I was protected from the wind now because of the alcove that the door was located in. It wasn't so bad there.

I looked up as the door opened and Ben stood there. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, just like always, and was sock footed. His hair was lightly grayed now, but he was also in his mid fifties too. He looked tired, but his face lit up slightly when he saw who was in the door.

"Hello, Mary Ellen," he said, opening the door wider as Asher's black lab, Boxer, bounded towards the door and started sniffing me. "How can I help you?"

"Is Asher home?" I asked, reaching down the scratch Boxer's ears. I looked up as Ben's face suddenly clouded. I straightened up. "Is something wrong?"

"He's asleep…he's had a tough week," Ben replied cautiously.

"That makes two of us, Ben. It's only for a moment," I said. He looked at me before giving a slight nod.

"Just don't take it personally if he bites off your head, okay?" he asked. I nodded and stepped in the house.

I slipped off my shoes and watched Ben disappear into the living room and Boxer take off down the hall to the kitchen. He heard his dog tags jingle before the crunch of him eating his food. I left my hoodie with my shoes as I walked up the stairs. They still creaked. Ben kept saying he was going to fix them, but he never did.

I stood at the foot of the stairs and looked at the hall. The wall was filled with pictures of Asher's family. His mom was in some. Some were from vacations and some were sporting events of Asher's. I stopped in front of one from two years ago. It had been the year that his mom had passed away. I reached out and lightly touched Asher's sad face with my finger. They had forced smiles, his father and Asher, but you could see the pain. It had been at Christmas, right after his mom's death.

I turned from the pictures and continued down the hall. I paused, though, about two feet from Asher's room. Last year, the entire high school had gone on a ski trip before winter. Asher, Tyler, Sawyer, Alyssa, and I had gathered in front of the lodge and a local had taken a picture of the five of us laughing. I remembered that clearly. We'd been happy then and look where we were now, only a little under a year later.

I turned and walked to Asher's door. It was cracked open a little and I nudged it open. Asher was sprawled out on his bed, his feet showing from where the cover had fallen off. His dark hair splayed across the pillow and the streaks of light from the blinds ran across his back, making his black shirt look like a prison jump suit. I stood in the door and watched him sleep. He looked peaceful, almost happy. It also made him look vulnerable, something I'd never seen him as.

I walked over to the side of the bed and frowned at the book that lay on the floor. I bent over and picked it up. Beneath it was the notes he'd apparently been writing for English because it was the book we were reading. _A Christmas Carol._ I looked down at his neat, loopy handwriting and then at him. I placed the book on the nightstand by his bed and smoothed his bangs from his hair.

I held my breath as he stirred slightly, but remained asleep. Across the room, his phone beeped from where it was charging. I glanced at him, but he remained asleep. I walked over to the phone and picked it up. One Unread Message. I glanced at him and then opened it. Nick. Don't know if ur still passed out, but don't 4get 2nite. T.S. gets out of HP soon. more l8ter. I frowned and put the phone down and looked at Asher.

I shook my head and walked back to Asher. This time, instead of being quiet, I gently shook his shoulder. I watched his eyes flutter open once, go shut, and then open again, more awake. He looked at me sleepily, as though he didn't see me totally. Then his eyes widened and he bolted up.

"Shit, Mary Ellen, what…what are you doing here?" he asked, running his hand through his hair. I frowned at him. He shook his head. "It…it doesn't matter." He threw off the covers and I watched him walk over to his phone. I was able to see him thoroughly.

I smiled at his messy hair from sleep, his wrinkled black muscle shirt and his blue shorts. I looked at his bare feet and realized that he hadn't really changed, feature wise. He'd gotten taller, sure, and had a little more muscle, but he'd always been strong. I looked away as he unplugged his phone and looked at me before tossing his phone onto the dresser.

"So…how are you?"I asked, sitting gingerly down on his bed as I watched him. He walked over to the window and looked out. "I mean, other than completely avoiding me." He sighed and looked at me.

"I'm not avoiding you," he said, sounding tired.

"Oh? Then why don't you talk to me anymore, Ash?" I asked, staring down at my hands and feeling stupid. I heard him sigh and then he walked over and sat down next to me.

"There's just a lot of stuff that I can't tell you, and if I could, I wouldn't know how to start," he said. I was silent, so he went on. "Look…what happened with Tyler-"

"So you know," I muttered.

"Everyone knows, Mare. What happened with Tyler…it was for his own good, and…I don't know how to explain it. It's just…there's a reason that we had to do what we did," Asher said. It made me mad, what he had just said.

"'That we did what we had to do what we did'?" I asked. "So you're a we now?" I stared at my hands, which were now bunched into a fist. I felt his slightly warmer hand cover mine. I started to pull away, but he held me there.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Mare," he said softly. I opened my mouth to speak, but rushed on. "It's just that there's a lot of things that are true and what's not and I don't want you to be mad at me, I don't want to avoid you, but…I just…I don't want to hurt you and this is the easiest way. This is why Tyler has to too. He doesn't want to hurt you."

"Too late," I muttered. He was silent for a moment.

"Don't hate him for something he can't control, Mary Ellen. It's not going to help any. It's just going to make things worse and someone will end up hurt," he said. I looked up into his eyes and saw the truth in them.

"Text me back sometime, idiot, and we wouldn't be in this mess," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat and smiled softly at him. He smiled back and I curled into his arms. It wasn't a loving embrace, but a friendly embrace. It was the embrace I had needed.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

**Asher Sigo**

A howl erupted into the night. I glanced at Jessyca out of the corner of my eye and saw that she was already running for the center of the woods. I tore into the earth, getting a good grip before managing a successful take off and flew after Jessyca, quickly catching up with her as another howl erupted.

_"Jeesh, Nick, take it easy. We're on our way," _Matt growled. I barked in agreement, followed by a few others.

_"I understand. Just get your asses here and get them here fast," _Nick growled. I could already sense Jareth by his side and Matt soon reaching it. Lexi and Oliver fell into step behind Jessyca and I fell into step behind Sawyer.

_"We're here now, Nick, so get your tale out from between your legs," _Lexi growled. Nick was pacing in the center of the circle.

_"We have a problem," _Jareth said, speaking for Nick. _"The Black Ones are involving someone that is close to a few members of this pack. Well, at least she was. We have confirmed that Evan wants something from Mary Ellen. Perhaps he thinks that by getting close to her, and then she will tell the secrets that she doesn't know."_

_ "It's not Evan, though," _Matt said. Jareth and Nick's heads snapped in his direction. _"Evan's family wants to know. It's more like his siblings. The adoptive parents aren't involved. They don't want to be and they don't know how to control the other six."_

_ "So…what about Evan?" _Jessyca asked.

_"He doesn't want anything to do with them; at least that's what I'm gathering."_

_ "From where?" _Oliver growled.

_"The Elder's have been doing their research. John and Ben work with the adoptive dad at the PD. I guess they need someone to cover their tracks."_

_ "And Bill is not suspicious?" _Nick asked.

_"I think we'd know if he was."_

_ "Then it's settled."_

_ "What is?" _Jessyca asked. He turned and looked at all of us.

_"We can't let them stay. We need a new plan."_

_ "We had a plan, Nick, and then Ty woke up and now Mary Ellen's involved. How are you going to keep her safe?" _Jessyca asked.

_"She's going to be our decoy," _Nick said.

_"No way, hold up. There is no way in hell I am going to let her get hurt."_

_ "She won't get hurt, Asher."_

_ "She will if she's a decoy."_

_ "Asher," _he said and stepped forward, _"we are going to do anything we need to do in order to protect our people. Mary Ellen will not be harmed because Tyler is going to fix things with her, as you have, and so is Sawyer."_

_ "I don't like it."_

_ "You don't have to. You're not the Alpha," _he growled and caused me to flinch back and shut up. _"Now, what we are going to do…"_ I tuned out after that.

I couldn't let them involve Mary Ellen, but we did need her to help us. I didn't see how she and Tyler were going to fix things. She seemed pissed at him still and I didn't blame her. There was better ways to have done the things that he had. She just needed someone and he chose a bad time to decide that he should tell her about not being able to see him.

Of course, that was basically how I'd told him, but then again, I had pushed them away at first. I guess he couldn't push her away when he was stuck in the hospital. Not many places to hide there unless he went to the morgue.

I started pacing restlessly, the others restlessness affecting my own. I couldn't stand still anymore. Suddenly, I was geared up for what they wanted. The Black Ones needed to go. There were just too many wolves in this area and it was starting to affect us all. We were here first; our ancestors have always been here. We overruled them once. We could do it again.

_"Asher, stop pacing. You're going to dig a hole into the ground," _Oliver said. I looked at him and found that others were moving around. Nick, Jareth, and Matt had formed a group, they had shut their thoughts off from us, but I found Matt's eyes on me. He was thinking the same thing even if I couldn't hear him. I watched Jessyca standing a ways away, she was fighting to stand still. Oliver and Lexi were getting into it and I found Sawyer standing silently next to me.

_"She'll be fine, Ash. I don't see why you are so concerned for her safety. Ty will take care of her," _Sawyer said, shielding his thoughts from the others. I did the same.

_"Ty won't be there all the time, Saw. She'll have to go to the Black Ones home in order to tell us what we need to know."_

_ "Then let her. We can't tell her not to because she'll ask for a reason and we can't give her a good one. They won't be able to touch her without us being around. We'll push the limits of the territory and have our ears open."_

_ "Is this Nick's plan?"_

_ "Yeah, actually, it is. We need to keep a closer eye on them, okay, Ash? If our mark wasn't already on Ty, we could have had an Elder talk to him, had him be an insider and get on the Black Ones good side because he's going to be a black wolf anyways, and then he could report back."_

_ "Wouldn't they find it odd that his mind wasn't connected to theirs?"_

_ "Ash, they can hear almost everyone's thoughts. If we didn't guard ours, then they could even read ours. We have to do this, Ash, there's no other choice. Do I look putting Mare in danger? Not one bit, but we have to in order to protect our people. It's our job; we were born to do this."_ I growled. I still didn't like it, but it was the truth.

_"If anything happens…"_

_ "You and Ty will kill us, we know already," _he said wearily. I looked at him and then at Nick. He met my eyes evenly for a moment before letting out another howl, followed by the others.

_"Tonight it begins. We start our war," _he growled and let another howl ring through the air, followed by ours.

I walked tiredly to my truck that afternoon. I yawned as I unlocked it and threw my duffel bag in. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Jessyca and Nick get into Nick's Jeep. I turned and climbed into the truck and sat in it. I didn't know what to do.

I could have gone home to an empty house and Boxer. Ben was on a fishing trip with Bill and John. He wouldn't be home until late. Normally I would have embraced the quietness to catch up on my sleep some more, but Nick had be wound up. I felt like if I sat still for more than five minutes, then I was going to burst.

I started the engine and then just started driving. At least with my focus on the road, I was losing my edginess, but not easily. It was still there and the stop signs or traffic lights brought it back. I didn't like it, so I took the Interstate and hit the gas. There was more room to move and less vehicles at this time of day. I easily moved through the stream of traffic at ninety miles an hour and no one even looked at me. Of course, I was still going fifteen miles over the speed limit, but it was all good.

I reached down to turn the radio on. Now the hum of the vehicles was getting on my nerves. I knew that it would soon be the stingy scenery, so I turned off and headed down a main highway, not a back road, but it had a better view.

I found myself back in Brooke by six. I pulled up to a stop at a stop sign, finally calmed down. I sat there for a moment longer because there was no one else on the road. There was a bunch of teenagers heading towards the only club in Brooke. I didn't have an interest in them, so I started moving on again.

I pulled up to a stop in front of a familiar white house with a swing on it. Tonight, the roof was lightly dusted with the snow flurries that were coming down. The houses living room light was on, as well as the porch and hallway light. I turned off the engine and sat there. I watched a figure move behind the curtain from the living room to the hallway.

I looked at the cars parked. Mary Ellen and her mother both were home. I pulled the keys from the ignition and stuffed them in my pocket as I got out. The cold didn't affect me. It actually felt good for once, but I guess that's what I got for being part dog.

I slowly walked up the stairs and onto the front porch. I paused. Did I knock, ring the doorbell, or just walk in? Normally, I walked in, but this wasn't normally. I hadn't been here in a couple of months and I was unsure if I was still welcome to just drop by whenever I wanted to. I suspected that Mary Ellen wouldn't be upset, but her mother might be.

I raised my hand and knocked, deciding that it was best that way. I heard footsteps come down the hall. It wasn't Mrs. Mercer because she always made a racket when she came to answer the door. I knew it was Mary Ellen. She opened the door and stood there in a pair of shorts, a tank top, bare feet, and a muffin in her hand. She looked shocked to see me.

"Twice in one weekend, Ash, I'm surprised," she said and stepped back. "You just going to stand out there and get sick?" I smiled at her slightly and stepped in. the house was just as I remembered.

"How are you, by the way?" I asked. She crossed her arms over her chest as I slipped off my muddy shoes.

"I got a call from Tyler today. You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?" she asked. Nick was acting faster than planned, apparently.

"Nope, not at all," I said, not looking at her. I felt her gaze on me.

"Why are your shoes so muddy? I mean, it's not like there's that much mud because the grounds solid. Come to think of it, Evan has muddy shoes on…" she mused. My head snapped up and sure enough, there was another pair of shoes. I tensed. How hadn't I noticed? "What's wrong?"

"There wasn't another car in the driveway," I said, trying to keep my voice even. She frowned.

"He came home with me from school today. You would have known this is you were still going to school there," she said, sounding a little POed.

"I have reasons I haven't been-" I was cut off by an unwanted person joining our conversation.

"Is something wrong?" the boy asked in a Southern accent. I narrowed my eyes at Evan, who had an amused look on his face. "Should I…go?"

"No," Mare said as I said, "Yes." She gave me a look, but Evan was unaffected.

"Ash?" Mare asked, still eyeing me. Evan looked me dead on. "Ash, what's wrong?"

_"Get out. Now!" _Nick's voice was suddenly in my mind. Of course, he would have been listening.

"Asher?" Mary Ellen asked, starting to look worried.

_"Is that an order?" _I asked Nick mentally. He growled.

_"Yes, that is a damn order!" _he said. I sent him a smirk and then looked at Mary Ellen.

"Asher, tell me what's wrong," Mary Ellen said. I shook my head and slipped my shoes on.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Leaving so soon?" Evan asked. I looked at him for a moment. I didn't have to answer him. I earned a growl of encouragement from Nick before I left.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I bit my lip as I watched Asher's tail lights disappear into the distance. What had I said? He'd acted all…I didn't know, tense or something, when he found out that Evan was there. Were they fighting or something? I wondered if it had to do with the fact that Evan was spending time with me and I wasn't spending time with them. No, that couldn't be it. I knew Asher. He didn't get jealous easily. In fact, I'd never saw him jealous.

If it wasn't jealousy, then what could it have been? I figured that Nick had done something to Asher again, but I'd seen the way Evan's family looked at Nick and the others. The hate was mutual. Well, except for Evan. He didn't seem affected by the hate until now. I'd saw something different in Evan that night. He was a different person.

I looked at the blonde hair boy that stood looking out the window. I could see the outline of his muscles beneath his black t-shirt. He looked relaxed in the dark washed jeans he had on and his sock feet. His hair was lightly messed up, but not badly. It was curled on the ends from where the snow had hit it and made it wet.

I tensed. Evan looked like Tyler so much. They both had the same blonde hair. They both had a feeling of authority. It was odd. I found myself staring at Evan and then comparing him to Tyler. They could almost be twins if their eye color and height were the same. Evan had puppy dog brown eyes and Tyler had green. Evan had about six inches on Tyler, but they still looked exactly the same. Maybe they were long lost twins after all.

"Mary Ellen?" Evan asked. I snapped out of my daze and looked at him before adverting my gaze and unplugging my phone from where it was charging. "Weren't you going to show me the backyard?" I stuck my phone in my pocket.

"Yeah, I was," I said, clearing my throat. "Come on." I slipped on my shoes and found a hoodie. Technically, it was Tyler's hoodie, but I'd claimed it. Evan didn't slip on a hoodie when he followed me, carrying his muddy shoes. I frowned at him.

"What?" he asked, slipping on his shoes.

"You'll get sick," I said. He shrugged. "You don't care if you get sick?"

"Of course I care, but I'm not going to get sick," he replied, holding the back door open. "After you." I eyed him before stepping onto the porch.

The back yard was a winter wonderland. The gazebo in the center of the snow was littered with snow and the spotlight was on. The bushes and bare trees were covered and the snow was untouched other than by the birds. It was silent, not even the neighbor's dog was barking.

"It's nice," Evan murmured. I jumped. His chest was right against my back. I hadn't realized he was so close, but he was so warm. No one should have been as warm as he was. "We had some snow in the South, but it was never as pretty as this."

"Yeah…it is pretty," I murmured. And it was.

I allowed Evan to gently take my hand and lead me across the yard. I stepped in his shoe prints, which was hard since his legs were ten times longer than mine. He was patient with me, though, as I made my way. He wasn't as nice as Tyler, though. Well, in a way he was. Tyler would have swept me into his arms. It was romantic, but he would have also hated to wait on me like Evan was.

We stepped onto the gazebo as the snow fell down more heavily. I shivered slightly. Maybe a hoodie hadn't been the best choice. I saw Evan look at me from the corner of my eye, but I walked across the gazebo to stand at the other side. Soon, Evan joined me. It was sickening to feel the heat that I did coming off of him and leaned towards him, sighing from the warmth.

"It's quiet," Evan mused quietly. I glanced up at him. He looked down at me. "I'm not used to the quiet."

"How many brothers do you have again?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Adoptive brothers. There's six of us."

"And you all look like twins."

"Yeah, I hear that a lot," he said, chuckling. I smiled slightly. "My adoptive parents are great. You should come over and meet them sometime." I looked up at him. "Seriously."

"Okay," I said. He nodded. "Evan?"

"What?" he asked.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Um…sure…"

"What's up with you and Nick? You guys seem as though you hate each other's guts," I said. He looked at me and I caught a glimmer of a smirk. "Evan?"

"They didn't tell you, then?" he murmured.

"Tell me what?"

"Nothing, just nothing," he said, looking at the yard now. I frowned. "It's nothing you need to worry about, Mare." He looked down at me and suddenly I was lost in his brown eyes. Suddenly, Tyler left my mind and all I wanted was for him to kiss me.

He looked back down at me and seemed to think the same thing. I shifted so I was standing near him, facing him. He looked at me. Slowly, he leaned down towards me and pressed his lips softly to mine.

It was nothing like when Tyler kissed me. Evan was gentle. I wasn't cheating on Tyler. He broke up with me, technically. That was just in the back of my mind, though. All I could think about was Evan's soft lips on mine and I relaxed. I felt more relaxed than I had in weeks until something broke the silence.

I jumped apart from Evan as there was a wailing howl, one that sounded as though an animal was in pain. It was followed by others. I glanced at Evan and saw his jaw set as he looked towards the West. I stepped closer to him. The howls seemed to be close. Wolves never came close to town. If they did, they'd never been seen or heard.

I wrapped my arms tightly around myself. Evan and Tyler were different. Tyler would have been ushering me back to the house, but Evan just stood there. And, he looked pissed about something. Tyler was pushy, but he was protective of me. Evan didn't push, but he didn't seem too concerned. Maybe the wolves weren't that close…

"Evan?"I whispered after the howls died down. "Since when are wolves this close to town?" He didn't look at me. "Evan?"

"Like I said, Mare, nothing to worry about," he said coolly. I flinched away slightly. Evan looked pissed and he scared me like this. He didn't feel safe to be around. "I have to go."

"See you at school?" I asked as he turned to leave. He paused.

"If I'm there," he replied.

"Wait, do you need a ride?" I asked, stepping forward. He shook his head.

"I'll walk. It'll do me some good," he said. I watched him cross the yard and disappear down the sidewalk. What. The. Hell. Was. Going. On!?


	20. Chapter Eighteen

**Asher Sigo**

_ "This wasn't part of the plan, Nick! What are we supposed to tell Tyler?" _I growled. Nick, Matt, Jareth, and I were the only one's who'd changed. I could feel Sawyer's mind connected to us, though, so he was at home. _"She wasn't supposed to kiss him!"_

_ "Tell that to her, Asher. You think I appreciate this too? No, I sure as hell don't. This is moving way too fast. I don't have a plan designed for this. I don't know how to deal. He heard. He knows we heard. He's smug about it and now he's going to go tell his family. We need to figure something out," _Nick said, pacing. The tension was felt between the bond.

_"Not to mention how to keep our secret and protect Mare at the same time," _Matt added. Jareth growled at him. Nick didn't need to focus on that.

_"We need to go home and talk to the Elders and the rest of the pack. We need to figure something out and fast. Maybe they're have some ideas."_

_ "You mean you don't have a plan, Nick?"_

_ "My plan went down the drain when she kissed her, Asher," _Nick growled. I lifted my shoulders as though to shrug.

_"You'll figure something out, Nick."_

_ "Are you sure about that, Asher? Because I sure as hell aren't."_

_ "Maybe we should talk to Ty…"_

_ "And how would he help, Matt?" _Jareth snapped. Matt held his ground.

_"He's new, he may have some ideas."_

_ "Think about what you just said. He's _new!_"_

_"Why don't you-"_

_ "Knock it off!" _ Nick growled. They shut up. _"We're going to go home and figure up a plan, okay?" _The murmur of Jareth and Matt's agreement must have satisfied him. I didn't say a word.

I walked through the front door of Sawyer's house and stood in the doorway. Nick walked over to the table and sat down as Jareth stood by the sink near Sawyer. Matt hung in the doorway that lead to the living room. Bill's car was parked in the driveway, but John and he were nowhere to be found. I felt Nick's irritation. He wanted to get this over with, but I knew that it would be awhile before we actually moved. Nick liked to be practical…ish. Not really, actually.

"Where are they?" Nick asked, drumming his fingers on the table. I fiddled with the keys in my pocket, not answer. Matt and Sawyer remained silent and I didn't think that Jareth was paying attention to them at all.

"Just call Ben," Matt said finally. Nick frowned. "Ben's an Elder too, Nick, don't forget. It's not like we need to rely on John all the time."

"My dad's out hunting in Canada," I muttered. Matt frowned. "What? My grandpa wanted to know if he wanted to come up."

"In Canada?"

"Is there something wrong with Canada?"

"Just an odd place to go hunting is all," Matt replied.

"Where's your dad, Sawyer?"

"If I knew that, Nick, I wouldn't have you sitting here bugging me," Sawyer muttered. Nick sighed and continued to drum his fingers on the table.

I wanted to slam my hand over his because the drumming was really starting to get on my nerves. I started pacing. I had to do something to get rid of the head ache, the churning of my stomach, and all the other things that were going on in my body and making me sick. I had to focus on something else, but everything I thought of was bad. I needed something else.

"Stop pacing, Ash. My dad will be pissed if you wear a hole into it," Sawyer said jokingly. I looked at him and then sat down.

"When do you think Ty's going to change?" I asked. We needed a different subject and this one wasn't so stomach turning. Nick sighed.

"I don't know. He needs to soon, but while he's trapped in that hellhole…"

"The thing right now is to not allow him to change while in the hospital. I think he'll make it until the next full moon, but I don't think after that. We need to figure something out fast or else there isn't going to be something to figure out," Jareth said. "We should split up."

"No, we'll be more vulnerable and that's what the Black Ones want," Nick said quietly.

"Then we at least branch off. Two of us focus on getting Tyler through the change and the rest of you take care of the Black Ones. The other two would come when needed," Jareth said.

"And who do you propose we allow to take on Tyler?"

"Jessyca-"

"We need Jessyca. She's one of our stronger fighters."

"Fine, Lexi-"

"Lexi wouldn't have the patience."

"Fine, how about Oliver and Asher?" Jareth asked. "Is there anything wrong with them? Oliver's been gone for weeks and Asher remembers his first change the best."

"I suppose…can they work together."

"Why talk about him like he's not here? Just ask him," Matt said. Nick and Jareth looked at me.

"Well, can you?" Jareth asked. I blinked and shrugged.

"Sure…I mean, we don't have a problem with each other or anything," I muttered. Nick nodded.

"It's settled then…" he said and kept talking, but I ignored him.

I settled back in the chair. How was I supposed to help Ty change? I remembered the change and held back the shiver that wanted to run through my body. I was glad I didn't have to go through it twice. It didn't hurt after the first time. The first time, though, your bones have to adapt to fit your body and your blood runs hotter, your heart speeds up, your body grows, and your mind is linked to the others.

It wasn't pleasant, but it also helped to know that others were there. It helped to know that they would help you through it since they'd been there and done it. Sure, each change was different, but they were all similar. Nick had learned a lot when he first changed and the Elders had taught him a lot. Everything that he had learned, he'd passed on to others.

I just hoped that I could help Tyler too. I knew that we needed to help Ty, but Oliver had been the fifth to change and that had been nearly a year or so ago. Mine had been two months. I was going to be the one to remember it the most because Oliver had changed, stayed a few days, and then fled the pack until we needed him. Oliver didn't know the stories that Nick had told us. They were still fresh in my mind.

"Why did you run off so fast?" Mary Ellen was asking as I held my phone between my ear and my shoulder while rummaging in the fridge for something to eat.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Did we have anything good? The fridge was nearly bare. I supposed that I would have to make a food run. Who knew when my dad would be back?

"Yesterday, you just…left when I mentioned Evan," she said. My stomach turned just by hearing her use his first name.

"Westholder is just an odd guy, don't you think?" I asked, moving on to the cupboards, still thinking.

It was amazing. I had managed to lie to the Alpha. I didn't know how he hadn't sensed it because he always sensed when we lied. My dad had went to Canada not to hunt, but because he was finding out information from my grandparents, who were Elders of a pack up there. He didn't want the other Elders to know because they were supposed to be making decisions together, not going off on their own.

"Ash?" Mary Ellen asked, snapping me out of my daze.

"What?"I asked.

"I said that Evan isn't that bad once you get to know him. You and your little cult act like you hate him. You just have to get to know him," she said. I cursed under my breath as a jar of pickles broke. "What happened?"

"Evan isn't that bad? You don't know him like I do, Mare," I said, searching for a dish rag. "Nothing."

"I've never once seen you talk to him," she replied. I mopped up the mess.

"Look, Mare, you may not see me talk to him, but trust me, I know him pretty well and, well, I really don't like him," I said, moving into the living room where Matt and Sawyer were sprawled out on my living room floor.

"You should hang out with us, Ash, we never do that enough," she said. I flopped down on the couch.

"Things are complicated right now. I don't really have time," I said, catching the notebook that Matt threw at me. I was supposed to be doing my Spanish…

"Complicated how?" she asked uncertainly. I looked at Matt and Sawyer.

"Just complicated," I replied, flipping the notebook open. "How's school?"

"Jeesh, you sound like my dad. He wonders why I'm not happy. Well, when only Alyssa and Grayson go to school with me…" I stopped listening, uhuhing when needed and saying "I understand", or "So I see" when I felt like I needed to say them.

I stared at the Spanish on the paper in front of me. It all blurred together. I never was good at it. Why would I need Spanish if I was going to live at the Lake and roam the forests forever? I didn't see a need. Maybe we could speak Spanish so people wouldn't know what to say, but all I knew how to say, really, was Mi llama es Asher. That's all I knew.

"Asher…why do you keep tuning me out?" Mary Ellen asked. Sawyer snickered and I threw a pillow at him. "Ash?"

"I'm listening," I said, biting the tip of my pen. I knew none of this and threw it on the floor with a gentle thump. "You were talking about school."

"No, I was talking about my mom having to work double," she said. I was silently arguing with Sawyer and trying to get him to do my homework. "Is…is everything okay, Ash?"

"Everything's-" I was cut off when Sawyer launched himself at me and my phone went flying.

"You can do your own freaking Spanish!" Sawyer said. I dodged and rolled towards Matt, who face palmed and tried to find my phone.

"I was just asking for help!" I said, dodging him again.

"Yeah, and normally that leads to me doing it for you!"

"That's a bad thing?" he glared at me and I yelped as he shot towards me, shaking already.

"Sawyer, calm down!" Matt called from the hallway, where he'd found my phone.

"This isn't just about Spanish!" Sawyer shouted. I frowned, confused and trapped in a corner. "You lied to us, Ash. You didn't tell Nick the truth."

"I did too!" I said.

"You said your dad was hunting! He's not hunting. HE'S FINDING OUT INFORMATION WITHOUT TELLING THE ELDERS!" Sawyer shouted.

"Saw, calm down right now!" Matt growled, still holding my phone. As for me, I was speechless. Guess I shouldn't have thought about it while they were close.

"Damn right," Sawyer growled.

"Sawyer, Nick already knows," Matt said. I could still hear Mary Ellen on the line. The room was silent. "We followed Ben last night on patrol. We stopped him and we know everything, okay? Don't make a big deal out of nothing."

"Why didn't you just tell us today?" Sawyer asked. I looked at him.

"Because they already knew," I muttered. "There was no point."

"No point!? Not even to your best friend?" Sawyer asked quietly. I sighed.

"Ash, Mary Ellen is still on the phone…we'll discuss this later," Matt said with finality.


	21. Chapter Nineteen

**Evan Westholder**

I could sense only two of my brothers home and Rick and Isabel inside. I sighed. At least it was Brett and Aaron who were home. They were tolerable. I didn't know where the other four were…probably patrolling. Well, two of them were. My eldest brothers had dropped out of the school and fled. They didn't want anything to do with us anymore. Well, they were the ones who were causing problems with the pack. I didn't dare say anything around Isabel, though.

I ran a hand through my blonde hair before entering the house. I was wrong. I entered the house as Chris and Heath walked in. And, then, there was uttermost chaos. Suddenly, there was yelling and Isabel and Rick was in the kitchen talking in hushed voices. I was getting a head ache already.

I could see where people would call us octuplets. I think that was the right word, anyways. I wandered into the kitchen. They were still going on about the pack. This was what we got for not having any girls in the family. It wasn't as though I'd want this curse on a female, anyways. It was bad enough as a male…a male who'd suffered so much.

I pulled out my phone and saw several missed calls from Mary Ellen and then several frantic text messages. I couldn't call her amidst the chaos in the living room, so I wondered upstairs to my room where there was actually silence and sat down on the bed. I looked at Mary Ellen's messages before calling her.

"I'm coming to get you," was all I said when she answered before hanging up without hearing her say a word.

I pulled up in front of Mary Ellen's and honked once. She appeared and hurried towards the car. I had already, thankfully, warned my siblings to behave. Rick and Isabel would keep them in line. She got into the car silently and I glanced at her and turned the heat up and the radio down.

"Are you ready to meet my family, Mary Ellen?" I asked quietly. She looked at me. "All my siblings are at home currently. I'd like for you to meet them." Hopefully we could make it through the night without someone slipping up.

"Something's going on with Asher," Mary Ellen said quietly as I drove. "There was yelling and then suddenly Asher was gone and Matt was on the phone. He told me that Asher would have to call him back later. I'm worried, Evan, that something happened." So, the pack hadn't told her yet, either?

"He'll be fine, Mare. He's a big boy," I said in the same quiet voice. She rested her head on my shoulder.

"I know, but I still can't stop worrying. He's my friend and…his dad's gone. There's something going on and I don't know if his father, or anyone, really, is aware of it," she whispered. "I need to see Tyler, he'll tell me."

"Then why didn't you call him?"

"Because…because he's mad at me."

"Then stop worrying, Mare. Everything's going to be okay," I said, giving her a reassuring look. She frowned, but didn't say anything else.

I drove down the abandoned road. It was still snowing, so the only person we did meet was a snow plow. Looked like there wouldn't be any school, not that the snow mattered to me. I was in shorts and a t-shirt and perfectly fine. I ran a hand through my hair as I drove. It'd be interesting to see her reaction to the house.

I could picture it in my mind: a huge, wood sided house. It was three floors, with the third floor being a game room. There was also a full size basement for when we had guests to stay the night. I picture the library, living room, kitchen, and master bedroom with a bath across from it. I pictured the staircase with old pictures lining it that lead to the second floor. There was seven or eight bedrooms located there and two baths.

"What are you thinking about?" Mary Ellen asked. I looked at her and then at the road again, turning off onto a road that lead back to the house. It was paved; my family had invested in money for it to be paved. Rick had said there was no sense in not having it paved if we could afford it.

"Just if you'll like the house," I said. She was silent for a moment.

"You know…I was panicking and I just realized that this is the first time I'll properly get to meet your family and see your home…it's actually frightening," she said, shooting me a smile that wanted to make me die.

"Why is my family frightening?" I asked. She bit her lip and looked out the window, probably trying to see through the woods and shocked that there was actually another house back here. She probably thought it was mine, but I kept going and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Because…I don't know, I've just never met them before," she said, watching the scenery go by.

"You've met my brothers," I said. She gave me a pointed look. I smiled. "What?"  
"I haven't met your brother's properly."

"Oh, so people still have formal introductions still?"

"In my family they do."

"I wasn't aware of that. I'll introduce you today," I said. She shook her head and continued to look out the window. I sighed and wished that I could her mind. Things were so much easier when I could read people's minds.

"Okay," she said quietly and kept staring out the window. I sighed.

"You did what?" I hissed, standing in the kitchen with Heath and Brett. I was glaring at Heath and Brett was trying to keep me from killing him.

"You're always bitching about there not being a girl, so there's a girl now!" Heath hissed. I threw my hands up. "I was doing you a favor!"

"It's not a favor if you put her through this hell!" I growled and went to lunge, but Brett was there. Alpha, right. I had to keep myself under control and tried to push my anger away. "Where is she?"

"She's with Isabel. She's a bit shaken up," Brett said, speaking for Heath. I took a deep breath and turned away.

"Just get her calmed down and then I'll talk to her. I have to deal with Mary Ellen right now," I muttered.

"Yeah, she smells like a wet dog."

"And you don't, Heath?" Brett asked as I left.


	22. Chapter Twenty

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I stood uncomfortably in the doorway. Evan's brothers had whisked him away as soon as he had entered the house and left me with Evan's father and two other brothers. I couldn't tell them apart, of course. They all looked alike. Evan's father, though, had a dirtier colored hair. The other two boys stood by the window, staring blankly. I wondered where his mother was or even where Evan was.

"Boys, introduce yourselves properly," Evan's father said. He'd introduced himself as Rick when I had entered the house. The blonde boys barely glanced at him. "Chris and Aaron, introduce yourselves."

"Chris," the taller boy said.

"Aaron," the other boy introduced himself. I nodded slowly. Rick sighed, but probably figured it would be the best he would get out of them.

"Where's Evan?" I asked finally. Rick ran a hand through his hair.

"Well…there's a little bit of a problem that he's dealing with. He'll be back shortly," Rick said as Isabel descended the stairs with blonde, curly hair. She eyed the others in the room and stuck to Isabel's side. Funny, I'd never seen her before.

If I hadn't been preoccupied, I would have taken more time to take in the craftsmanship of the home. It was made entirely out of wood and gave off the homey feeling. There was a flat screen hanging over the lit fireplace, black, leather furniture with wooden coffee tables and end tables. The lamps matched and lit the room up perfectly as the sun set outside. Through the doors to my left was the kitchen and I could see a long table and the stainless steel appliances. I could hear Evan's hushed voice in there, but not him, nor could I make out his words.

I followed the stairs that lead to the second floor. I saw the hallway go on either side of the lookout area that you could look down on the living room from. I saw the closed doors that lead to the other rooms.

On the main floor, there was a hallway off from the living room that lead to the master bedroom, I presumed, and then a bathroom. There was another room that I couldn't see. I could see through the kitchen that there was a hallway that lead to another set of stairs, but I couldn't see what they lead to.

Out of the sliding doors of the kitchen was a large deck that overlooked the small pond behind the house. I saw a hot tub out back and the rocking chair. There were no houses in view, even with the leaves off. There was just woods. They were all alone back here. Well, that and the other house down the road.

I shifted uncomfortably. Rick was staring at something past me and I wondered if I should sit down. I watched as Aaron wondered away from Chris and over to Isabel. Chris stood at the window, not turning. I could see his set jaw in the reflection off the window.

"Sorry about that," Evan's voice broke through the silence. Chris's head snapped to look at him. I could hear that Evan's accent had come through his voice and it sounded stressed. "So…I see that you've met everyone, Mary Ellen." I watched him carefully avoid Isabel, Aaron, and the girl's gazes.

"It was no big deal," I said. He looked at me for a moment before turning towards Isabel a bit.

"So…you haven't met everyone," he mused, walking over to me. Were all families this weird? "Mary Ellen, this is Jocelyn. I believe that she goes by the name Josie, correct?" The curly blonde haired girl shivered from his voice and Isabel put a comforting arm around her.

"That's correct," she said in a quiet voice. In an instant, Heath appeared beside her from nowhere and Brett was in the doorway. Josie's eyes widened at the sight of him and she flinched away. Heath's face fell.

"Perhaps we should go elsewhere, Mare," Evan said quietly. I watched the girl and wondered what could be wrong with her. She looked up and met my gaze. She seemed to be begging me to say or do something.

"What's wrong with her, Evan?" I asked, taking an unconscious step towards her. Evan's hand reached out to grab my wrist, but it cut short.

"Nothing's wrong with her," Evan said, trying to control his voice. Josie seemed relieved that I had said something.

"It doesn't seem that way," I muttered. Evan was suddenly in front of me. I gasped when I saw his eyes. I knew they were normally black, but there was something inhuman about them. I stepped back. "Evan?"

"Let me show you the rest of the house," Brett said, stepping between me and Evan. "Cool off," he murmured to Evan as he put his arm around my shoulders and steered me towards the stairs. I glanced back at Evan. He was pacing.

"Some leader," I heard Chris mutter as Brett lead me up the stairs.

I bit my lip. I wanted to ask Brett what was going on, but apparently their family had their secrets just like Asher and everyone else. I seemed to be the only person not in them. I hated to be left out, but that's what it felt like anymore. I was always the odd ball, left out. Apparently no one needed Mary Ellen Mercer in their lives.

I didn't pay any attention to Brett as he led me through the house. I was too caught up in my thoughts. Evan would just have to show me later. I didn't think he'd mind, anyways. If Tyler was speaking to me, then we would be spending a lot of time together. Tyler had tried to patch things up, but the things he'd said…it was going to take a lot to patch up.

"Mary Ellen?" Brett asked. I snapped out of my daze. He was as innocent looking as Evan and his accent made it even more apparent. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry," I said. I stood there and looked around the library filled with what looked like old artifacts.

"I was just saying how Rick and Isabel have travelled all over the world. France, England, Egypt, everywhere. They collected a lot of tales and treasures on their journey's," he said. I stood there and watched him wonder over to a painting. If you just glanced at it, you would just see a black canvas. But, after looking at it, I saw a pair of bronze colored eyes. "The things people would say." He shook his head and laughed slightly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, walking over to him. He shook his head.

"It's nothing really. You know how people say not to believe everything you hear? Well, some of the tales that Isabel and Rick were told were so…so outlandish that they waved them off. I don't remember all the facts about the tales, but I didn't believe them either when we were told about them," Brett said, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. "But, people do like to gossip, things are changed overtime in stories too." He looked at me now. "You ever hear such a tale that you didn't believe it was real?"

"Yeah…"I drew slowly. He stared at the painting a moment longer before turning away.

"They are mostly tales, Mary Ellen, remember that," he said, watching the snow come down again. "Almost Christmas. It's unbelievable." I watched it snow with him and found it hard to believe too.

"It feels like it was just Halloween, summer, even Thanksgiving," I murmured. Brett sighed.

"It's amazing how fast the time goes," he said. We stood there and I didn't even hear Evan come in until his arm snaked around my waist, catching me off guard.

I didn't know if I was dating him or not. We hadn't really said anything about it since he kissed me and the wolves were howling. Maybe he thought that words didn't need to be spoken. I knew that I liked him, but I also loved Tyler. I missed him too.

That thought made me flinch away from Evan's arm. Tyler. God, what was I doing? I was being an ass and he had only been, like maybe Asher had been trying to tell me, trying to protect me from something larger. I liked Evan, but I loved Ty. I needed and craved him. Evan wasn't the one I wanted to be with. He was a friend, but I didn't love him like more than a friend.

Evan watched me and I saw him acknowledge this. He looked away and then back. He nodded once and tossed me a set of keys. I looked at them. It was a set of car keys. I looked up at him silently. Brett stood there, I knew he was watching us through the reflection of the glass, but he didn't move or say a word.

"Just leave the keys in the ignition. I'll pick it up tomorrow," Evan said quietly. I looked at him before giving him a one armed hug and going out of the room.

I stood in the garage, staring at the car. There was no way I could drive it. I was staring at a black Mustang with two white stripes that ran over the hood. No way in hell could I. But, what choice did I have? I knew the car was touchy to the gas, but I'd just have to do the best I could with it. I sighed and got in.


	23. Chapter Twenty One

**Tyler Solomon**

I stood outside of my house. It seemed so odd to call it my house. I hadn't been there for…weeks. I stared at it with its white siding and blue shutters. The porch was bare except for the snow and the lights were on inside. Mom stood next to me as Dad went to unlock the door. Mom kept thinking that I was going to fall over, but, truthfully, I'd been healed for a week.

I pulled away from my mom's grasp and started for the door when a car turning into the driveway made me turn. I frowned. I didn't recognize the car, but I did recognize the girl who got out. Her black, curly hair was pulled back. She was dressed in jeans, boots, and a winter coat. She paused when she saw me.

"Tyler," I heard her whisper and then she was suddenly in my arm. My mom was fussing, but neither of us heard her. "I went to the hospital, but you had already signed out."

"I wanted to get home before it got too late," I murmured and stroked her hair. I could feel her shivering already. "Mare, whose car is that?" She drew back to look at me and then bit her lip.

"It's…Evan's," she said. I tried not to let the anger show. "I went to his house, but something happened, Ty…I don't want Evan…I want you." I knew it sounded cheesy, but I wanted, needed, her too. It was the flat out truth.

"Ty," another voice said, causing me to turn. Jessyca, Oliver, and Asher stood there. Jessyca was in front of both of them, making it look like they were flanking her. Which, in a way, they were. I slowly pulled away from Mare, seeing the look on her face.

"What happened?" I asked coldly. My mom finally gave up and went inside. "Jess?" Jessyca sighed and exchanged a glance with Asher and Oliver.

"We need to talk in private," she said finally. I felt her eyes go to Mare. Mary Ellen's hand tightened in mine. I held Jessyca's gaze for a moment before looking at Asher. I knew what they wanted from the look on his face. I turned towards Mary Ellen.

"I'll call you later," I said quietly. She looked at me and opened her mouth to say something, but I kissed her softly and went towards Jessyca and the others. "Tell my mom and dad where I went." Tonight was the full moon. Tonight was my last chance.

I stood shirtless in shorts, my hands resting on my hips as I raised an eyebrow at the brown wolf in front of me. Crazy shit. I shook my head and stepped back, but Jessyca was standing there. According to Asher and Oliver, she technically wasn't supposed to be there, but Ash had talked her into it. I sighed and looked at her she shook her head. I turned back to Oliver in front of me and jumped. Jeesh. They had to give me some warning before they shifted back!

I shook my head again. I couldn't do this. No way in hell could I. I couldn't leave, though, either. Asher was off to my left and Jessyca was behind me and Oliver in front of me. I could sense the other members of the pack running through the woods. More like I could hear them, really. A slight growl, whine, or howl. A rustle of a leaf, a low thud of their paws, anything that gave them away I could hear.

"I can't do it," I said.

"That's bull shit. Do you really want to die?" Jessyca asked.

"It's crazy shit is what it is! There's no scientific way this can happen!" I shot back. She shook her head.

"Science doesn't prove everything, Tyler. This isn't science. It's nature. No one knows how it happens, it just does," she said calmly. I rubbed my temples. "You have to do this, Ty, or else the Black Ones will get you and Evan will get Mary Ellen." A pang ran through my stomach.

"He'll end up with her anyways."

"Not if we can help it. We're going to protect her for you, Ty, but you have to do this in return," she said. I looked at her and sighed. It was useless arguing with her.

"What do I have to do?" I asked bitterly. She gave me a sympathetic look and went on to explain it.

I should have played closer attention to the story because she kept referring to it. It apparently was going to hurt like hell. She also said that I needed to stay away from Mary Ellen until I was…stable. That wouldn't be hard. She probably already hated me. I also had to leave the school and continue schooling at the Lake. I could stay with one of them and "disappear" because my parents couldn't know. They weren't allowed. It would hurt them too bad to know the truth rather than to lose me. That part wouldn't hurt too bad…

I looked at Asher. I could see pain written on his face. He hadn't wanted this either, but at least his parents knew about him. Mine wouldn't know. I knew I could go to his dad, though. His dad would help me, so would Matt's…if they knew. They probably did know, though. They basically had to know with living there.

"Okay…I guess I'm as ready as I ever will be," I said, taking a deep breath. Jessyca looked at me and then Asher before nodding.

"Let's do this, then," she said, turning me around to face the moon again, letting the light hit my bare skin.

I tried to keep my breathing even as I felt my blood start to run hot. I closed my eyes. I wasn't going to freak. I wasn't going to scream like a little schoolgirl but it hurt like hell. I felt like my skin was peeling off, like my head was going to explode. I was dimly aware that I fell to my knees. They felt like they were on fire, like someone had thrown a match on them.

I clutched my chest. My heart was burning. It was speeding up and felt like it was going to beat its way out of my chest. I felt like my veins were ripping apart, each of them one at a time. My bones I could feel crack and grind together. I dimly heard someone's cries of anguish. My own, maybe?

I didn't have time to dwell on it because my head. My head! It felt like someone was taking a jackhammer to it over and over again and applying more pressure each time. I felt my body spasm as my bones grinded together again. It jerked again, causing me to cry out again. I wanted it to be over, but I knew it wasn't.

I could feel something wet drip down my face. I knew what it was. I'd been covered in it only a month and a half previously. I didn't have time to ponder this as my body twitched again. The pain was residing. I felt like my body was on fire still. My hands turned into fists against the soil. I needed something to feel, but I couldn't even feel the dirt between my fingers. I couldn't feel anything but pain.

My eyes burned. It felt like someone from chemistry had dropped an acid into them for humor. It felt like I had fire in my eyes. I felt like my ears were burning, like they would fall off and I would lose my hearing. I felt like I was going to be sick.

I felt something else happen. The pain hadn't subsided, but I could feel the change happening. I felt like I was shrinking, but I was growing at the same time. I knew that I would be furrier and all. I felt my eyes enhance and my hearing.

Finally, it stopped. I lay there, though, panting. Literally, I was panting. I looked up and groaned silently. The forest above me was spinning. I rolled over onto my stomach and pushed myself to my feet and found myself looking into three pairs of curious looking yellow eyes.

_"Welcome to the pack, Tyler," _Jessyca said, her mind suddenly in mine, but I had been prepared for it. I looked at her before a wolfy grin spread on my face.

I yawned and padded barefoot down the steps and into Asher's living room, where I found him sitting with his phone pressed to his ear. I stood in the doorway, but he motioned me on in. I saw, now, that his Spanish homework was spread out in front of him. I sat down, not wanting to bug him or make any noise because I could hear Mary Ellen's voice on the other end of the line. Instead, I distracted myself with the memory of how I'd left my parents the night before.

_ "Tyler?" Mom called as I entered the house. I shut the door gently with a glance at Jessyca, who sat in a black car, hidden in the darkness._

_ "Yeah?" I called back, slipping off my shoes. She appeared in the doorway. _

_ "Don't just run off like that! You just got home from the hospital. You need your rest," she said, taking my arm and ushering me into the living room, making me sit down. The next thing I knew, a steaming cup of hot chocolate was in my hands._

_ I looked up at my mom as she sat down with the evening paper and started working on the nightly puzzle. She had streaks of gray in her dark hair and lines had formed on her face. I knew these had been from me and I felt a pang of guilt. It hurt to know that I'd caused it._

_ I then looked at my dad, who sat with the sports section of the paper, examining it. As a sports fanatic, my dad followed it closely and examined each article like a rare book. He found the calls that should have been made and the ones that hadn't. I couldn't see any gray in my dad's blonde hair, but he looked tired. That might have been from working at the station, though._

_ "Rest, Ty, you need to work up your strength," my mom said, not looking up. I didn't tell her that I was already rested and healthy again. I took a drink of my hot chocolate._

_ "Mom…what would you do if I ever…left?" I asked finally. She peered at me over her glasses._

_ "Left?" she repeated. That had caught Dad's attention and I felt his eyes on me too._

_ "Yeah…like ran away or something. What would you do?" I asked. She put down the paper and perched her glasses on her head. She looked at me for a moment, considering what I had just said._

_ "I would hunt until the ends of the earth to find you. I wouldn't lose you easily," she said. "You don't have to worry about that anyways. Nothing's going to happen to you." If only she knew the truth._

_ "I'd have all the police on it. No son of mine is going to disappear without a trace," Dad grunted. Of course. The "no son of mine" speech. He thought the world of Sam, the older brother who went to school on a scholarship for basketball. I was the kid who played football and was good at it, good enough to get a scholarship. But, my dad wasn't a fan of football and refused to go to a game of mine._

_ "Of course," I muttered, putting my cup down. "I'm going to bed." I turned and started towards the stairs._

_ "I love you, Ty," my mom said softly. I pretended like I didn't hear her when it pierced my heart. I climbed the stairs and started packing. I was going to miss them like hell._


	24. Chapter Twenty Two

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I was frozen. What else could I do? I'd spoken to Asher only previously, so I knew that he wasn't with him. I knew that he wasn't around. I felt that he wasn't. How could he have just disappeared without a trace? How could he have just run away? Left? He didn't disappear without a trace. I knew there was a reason behind his leaving.

"What…what do you mean he's missing?" I asked my dad after finding my voice. I sat on the living room couch with Gryason and Alyssa next to me. My mom sat in a chair across from me and my dad was standing in the doorway. "He can't be missing. I just saw him last night."

"We think…we think he ran away, Mary. We're going to do our best to find him, but if he didn't want to be found…then…he's not going to be found, more than likely. It's even harder if he's being helped by others. I'm sorry, Mary Ellen." I scarcely felt Grayson's arm go around me.

"Maybe…maybe he just went for a walk," I said.

"His things are gone, Mary. He hasn't just gone out for a walk. He ran away," Dad replied. I sunk back into the cushions, swallowing a lump in my throat. "We'll try; Mare, but I don't know how it will turn out."

I shook my head and stood. This wasn't happening. I ignored my mom's voice calling for me to come back as I grabbed my car keys and left the house. Evan had picked up his car as promised, but I wasn't interested in that as I climbed into my Jeep. I started it with shaking hands and hit the gas, not caring if the cops picked me up for speeding. It'd just be payback for what my dad said.

I maneuvered the road easily. I'd driven it a lot, but I was thankful for that because I didn't think that I could maneuver them while in the state I was in. I just knew that, somehow, I ended up in front of one of the less extravagant houses of the Lake. I stared at it. This house, I'd never been to only a few times.

I took the keys out of the ignition and walked slowly to the house. I knew that he was home from the lamp in the window. I knew that he would know I was coming. I had been here once, twice, but only with my dad and John. I had come with them because I had been little with no choice, but I knew who lived here and he knew that I would come.

I barely raised my hand to knock when there he was. I stood there, looking at the high school senior who lived with his ill dad. I looked up at his six six build, his blonde, tasseled hair, and his blue eyes. He looked at me silently and I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what. So, all I did was allow him to usher me inside.

"I know why you're here," Nick said quietly, leading me towards the living room. "I can't tell you where he is, either." I blinked at him.

"I just need to know he's okay, Nick. You need to tell his parents-" he cut me off.

"Look, Mary Ellen, I cannot tell his parents anything, nor can he. This is something bigger than everyone else. This is something bigger than you've ever known."

"Just try me, Nick," I said. I watched him watch me and I had the feeling that he was going to tell me, but then he shook his head.

"I can't. I don't see why you came here, Mary Ellen, instead of asking someone else."

"Because no one will tell me the damn truth! I figured I'd go right to the source, but apparently you know nothing either!"

"I never said I didn't know anything, Mary Ellen, but rather that I can't tell you," he said smoothly. I shook my head and stood. "You'll understand some day, Mary Ellen. One of these days, you'll find out."

"Yeah, but when?" I asked. He opened his mouth, but then shut it.

"Nick? We need to discuss something," a boy's voice called as I heard the door shut. Jareth appeared in the doorway with Matt behind him. He froze when he saw me, causing Matt to run into him and then back up.

"Hello, Mary Ellen," Matt said. He shoved past Jareth and made himself at home on Nick's couch, like he'd done this often. I just sat there.

"Nick, we really have to talk about something," Jareth said, shifting like he had to go to the bathroom.

"Jare, I just realized that it sounds like you're telling Nick you need to talk about your relationship or something," Matt said, putting his hands behind his head. "Just saying."

"Shut up, Matthew," Jareth said, still looking at Nick. Nick looked thoughtful.

"Outside," he said standing and shoving Jareth towards the door.

I frowned, but remained silent as I looked at Matt. His hair was shaggier than the last time I'd seen him. He looked happier, though, for some reason. I didn't see why. Maybe he hadn't found out about Tyler's running away…or maybe he was part of it and was in on the secret. He was probably sitting there, thinking that he fooled me. But, I knew him better than that.

I sat back in the chair and watched Matt again. He seemed oblivious to me as he turned on the TV and flipped through the channels before settling on basketball. I remember Tyler's father being a big fan of basketball and not a big fan of Tyler playing football. He'd wanted Ty to follow his brother's footsteps and play basketball, maybe even get a scholarship and play college. Tyler hated basketball, though.

"You know they're going to want to interview you, don't you?" I asked suddenly, moving over to the couch to sit by him. He moved his eyes form the TV. "The police, I mean." He blinked.

"Oh," he said, shaking his head and sitting up. "About Tyler?" I nodded. "Yeah…I heard about that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Mary Ellen, but I don't have the answers you want. I don't know where he is."

"Honestly?" I asked. He held my gaze.

"Honestly, Mare. If I knew, don't you think I would tell you?" he asked. I held his gaze. "You don't…"

"I'm sorry, Matt, but after everything…I don't think that I can believe that. Not from all the secrets people are keeping from me. Do you guys honestly hate me that much?" I asked, looking away. "If you do, all you have to do is say so and I'll leave and not bug you." Matt sighed and took my hands in his.

"No one wants you to go, Mary. We're just…" he trailed off. I frowned. It was like he couldn't tell me the truth. I watched him and waited. He shook his head finally. "I can't tell you." I sighed and pulled my hands from his, picking up my bag. "Wait, Mary Ellen!" I turned towards the door. "There's a reason I can't tell you! There's a reason that none of us can say a word, that you don't even know who Evan truly is!" I froze. "Shit. Shit!" I turned to find him clutching his head.

"Matt?" I asked, going over to him. He jumped to his feet.

"Stay away from me, Mary Ellen!" he said, backing away. I stared at him. "He's marked you, Mare. You need to leave. Now!" I stared at him. "Go!" I backed away, slowly.

"Leave, Mary Ellen. Before someone gets hurt," Nick was outside me suddenly, his voice rough. I looked at him before turning and leaving. I didn't want to be around them anymore, suddenly.


	25. Chapter Twenty Three

**Asher Sigo**

I ran with the pack. I had no clue where we were going, towards Canada, I thought. I didn't let my thoughts get the best of me, however. Nick hated whenever we started to lose focus on what our task at hand was, what we were supposed to do. I didn't really have a clue what our task was, but, in my mind, I pretended that I did. The probably really pissed the others off, but, hey, it was the truth.

I tried to listen to the soft thud of the paws. I could hear everyone's, but I could hear Sawyer and Tyler's the best. I tried not to listen into Jessyca, Oliver, and Lexi's conversation because they knew what had happened. I couldn't even hear Jareth, Matt, and Nick. They seemed to be having their own private conversation. That just ticked me off too.

Sawyer whined softly, catching my attention. I saw him glancing back at me. Of course he was concerned. He worried about Mary Ellen too at times. How had Evan even managed to touch Mary Ellen? Oh, yeah, I was an ass and had to avoid her, just like Tyler, Saw, and Matt. We didn't have a choice. I would have thought Alyssa and Grayson would have looked out for her, but apparently not.

_"Don't beat yourself up, Ash. I should have been there. It's my fault."_

_ "Ty, you're just as bad with blaming yourself. How did he even get a chance to mark her?"_

_ "He kissed her. That's probably how."_

_ "When?"_

_ "The night we tracked his brothers who were leaving through the woods," _Sawyer said bitterly. A pang ran through my stomach. _"The night Nick told you to get out…"_

_ "That bastard!" _I growled and stopped in my tracks and turned. _"I'm going to go back and rip his throat out, and then his heart before he dies and allow him to feel his body start to die before I show him any mercy!"_

_ "Ash, you do realize that he'll die, like, a second after you rip out his heart, right?" _Jessyca asked. I growled at her. _"Just saying."_

_ "Well, keep your thoughts to yourself," _I growled, and turned to go back, but Tyler was there. He stopped me

_"Going back will only make things worse, Ash. We can't make things worse for Mary Ellen. She already doesn't trust Matt, much less us. We need to focus on the task at hand and then we'll work on someone getting Mary Ellen."_

_ "And what is the task at hand?"_

_ "We're going to destroy the Black Ones, Ash," _Nick said. Tyler and I both flinched. We hadn't noticed that their minds had joined the rest of ours again. _"We need to talk to your dad first, though."_

_ "So we are going to Canada?"_

_ "Yes, Lexi, we're going to Canada."_

_ "No, we're going to Timbuktu!"_

_ "Shut up, Matt."_

_ "You asked."_

_ "I asked if we were going to Canada, not for some comment!"_

_ "Well…it's not like I wasn't going to come back with one!"_

_ "Matt, Lexi, do us all a favor and shut up," _Nick growled.

"_Sorry," _they muttered. The pack fell silent.

I was left with my thoughts again and it sucked. All I kept seeing was Mary Ellen's face, her dark curls. I felt another pang. It was my fault, this thought I blocked from the others. It was my fault. I shouldn't have been a wimp and left. I shouldn't have listened to Nick. If I'd stayed, this would have never happened. If I'd acted like everything had been okay, she would have still had Tyler. We could have found a way to make it work…I just wasn't all that sure how.

Nick finally decided to take a break at a small diner in Michigan. We still had another days run ahead of us, but he decided to take a break. None of us had gone this far without a break in a long time. Tyler was the only one who didn't need one. He was still new and a little ball of energy.

I pulled on a black shirt along with my black shorts and joined Matt on his way towards the diner. Luckily, there'd been a small wood outside of the diner. I picked my phone up from the bag that Nick had tied around his ankle. They were a pain to keep track of when we shifted. I turned it on. I had a little service, but not a lot. I also had five missed calls from Mary Ellen and two texts. I shoved my phone in my pocket.

"Week tops, Ash," Matt said, clamping his hands on my shoulder. "We could all use the break, anyways." I rolled my eyes. "Just relax, Ash. We're going to talk to your dad, find out his info and then we're going to take those mutts down."

"You do realize, M, that we all are mutts, right?" Jessyca asked, suddenly there. She hooked her arm through her brothers. "After all, we're no different than them other than our coat color."

"Are you defending them now?" Matt asked, holding the door open. Jessyca watched him for a moment before entering the diner.

"I'm not defending anyone, Matthew. I'm just stating the facts."

"And what facts do you know?" Matt asked as they walked towards a booth. I slid into one with Sawyer, Jareth, Nick, and Tyler. Somehow, we all fit.

"…about another day to go. We should probably find somewhere to stay to catch up on our strength. We're going to need it in a few days," Nick was saying. Jareth didn't look happy.

"That's precious hours, Nick. We need to get to Canada and learn all we can," he said, leaning forward. "Look, Nick, we need to get there and get back. Our people are there, unprotected."

"Thanks for having faith in the Elders," Sawyer said, twirling the straw in his drink.

"It's not that, Sawyer. Have you seen how long it takes an Elder to shift? The town would be torn to pieces before they could do anything," Jareth said.

"Just wait a minute, Jare. We set it up so that the town will be safe, okay? It's all taken care of, don't worry," Nick said, looking out the window.  
"And how did you do that?"

"I just did."

"Explain."

"I don't have to explain, Jareth. Just trust me on this, okay?" Nick asked coldly, looking at Jareth. Jareth fell silent.

"What are you hiding from us?" Sawyer asked. Nick looked at him.

"Just something that doesn't need to be mentioned right now," he said. Sawyer looked at him for a moment before giving a short nod.

I didn't really ponder what they were silently talking about. I wanted to be a wolf again, to just focus on that and not have to deal with anything else. It was always easier as a wolf. You could just turn off all your human senses and become an animal. You didn't have any worries except to stop and find someplace to sleep. You didn't have to deal with the drama of being human. You could just be one with nature.

There was a downfall to being a wolf, though. Nick had told us that there was a man who was a member of a previous pack and had ran as a wolf for nearly twenty years. When he finally decided to come back…he wasn't a man anymore. He hadn't remembered anything and had turned into a mad man, almost killing a man. The Elders had to get rid of him. We try to change back, if we run off, at least once every year to maintain our humanity. That was one thing we couldn't lose.

As much as I loved being a wolf, I didn't think I could stand losing my humanity. That was just too much. I would never fall in love or be able to call someone mine. I needed that. The girl that I loved, the girl that's always been taken from me, is now a mutt's. I had to kill Evan. I was going to be the one to do it, to break their bind. I couldn't let her be with _him._ It was just…not right. Tyler deserved her, at least. Someone, anyone, other than him would be good for her.

I ran a hand through my hair and sat back in the booth as a waitress brought plates of food. I looked at Nick to see if he'd been the one to order for me. He gave me a slight nod. I looked down at the food and ate a French fry. I was starving, but I didn't want to look like a pig or something. I took one bite and then thought, "The hell with not looking like a pig." I was starving.

I yawned after eating. Sawyer and Tyler looked equally as tired. Nick was looking out the window and Jareth had wondered off to where the others sat. I pulled out my phone to finally respond to Mary Ellen's text.

I'm going 2 get my dad. IDK when I'll b back, but I will b back. don't leave me, mare. Please just trust us this once & take our word. It's all I ask. –Asher

I put my phone back in my pocket with a sigh. I didn't know when I'd see the Lake again. Probably never get to see it; really see it, for a long time. At least, not until this was all over with. Whenever that was, that was.


	26. Chapter Twenty Four

**Jareth Snow**

I exchanged a glance with Nick as we walked through the woods. People were slowly drifting back, but Lexi and Oliver were the only ones to change back actually. I could hear Tyler, Sawyer, and Asher talking. Matt was arguing with Jessyca. I didn't want to stop tonight, but Nick insisted. At least I'd gotten him to agree to make it closer to the border before we took a break.

I was tired too. I didn't blame him and the others for wanting to take a break. I was antsy, though. I didn't want to leave the Lake unguarded for too long. I knew who Nick had trusted with running the borders. I don't see why, though. Honestly, I thought he was nuts. Leaving a fifteen year old boy who was barely changed to run patrol? That was asking a lot.

Ben had sent us Alex Begaz from Canada. He'd found the boy in the woods, sickly ill because he didn't know how to make the change. Luckily, he'd gotten him through it and asked the boy where he was from. He ran away from a foster home. No one had any missing person reports filed for an Alex Begaz, so either he was lying about his name, or he came from a bad foster home. After checking, Ben sent him to us.

Nick had talked to him a few days earlier, explaining things to him. John was going to help him run patrol some, since he was only in his late forties or so. He would be able to run patrol, or at least walk it, for a little bit. I didn't see how the kid was going to do it all the time, though.

_"Don't think too hard about it, Jareth. He'll do fine."_

_ "But we're going to have to deal with him when we go back, Nick. How are we going to explain to the others where he came from?"_

_ "We're just going to let them come to their own conclusions. It'll all work out."_

_ "So you say."_

_ "Jare, you know me."_

_ "Yeah, but you've changed lately, Nick."_

_ "I could use help, you know. It's hard to handle all this on my own."_

_ "All you have to do is say something, Nick. There are nine members of this pack, ten now, it's not just you anymore," _I shot back. I earned a moment of silence from him. Good, he needed to think about that. _"There's no 'I' in team, after all."_ He gave me a wolfy look.

_"That's juvenile, Jareth."_

_ "Whatever it takes to get through your thick head."_

_ "You have a thick head too, so I wouldn't be talking," _he grumbled. I chuckled and we lapsed into silence as the others eventually shifted.

I stood in the hotel's bedroom. I had a problem. Well, really, we all had a problem. No one had thought to bring extra clothes because we were planning on getting them when we got to where Ben was staying. It was a pain to back clothes. The hotel gift shop was the only store open at midnight.

I turned to face Nick. He stood in the middle of the room, thinking the same thing probably. He looked up and met my eyes before giving a slight nod.

"Shopping it is," he said, sighing. "Either the gift shop or breaking into a thrift store. Which do you want to do?"

"Considering the price of the stuff in the gift shop, I'm going with breaking and entering," I replied. He rolled his eyes.

"Of course," he said, walking towards the door, probing everyone's thoughts as he did so. Jessyca, Matt, and I would go. Jessyca to buy her and Lexi's clothes and to help with the others, Matt to help her and to pay, and me to do the breaking and entering.

"No, I am not wearing that. In fact, I refuse to," Matt said. Jessyca frowned at him and looked at the Hawaiian shirt. "I'll look like a freak."

"It's just to check out in the morning, Matt," she said, sighing. I chuckled from where I stood; peering between the blinds to make sure no one was coming. Thankfully, their security cameras didn't work.

"Still," I said. I picked up a shirt near me.

"It's that shirt or this one," I said, throwing it at him, an old disco days looking shirt. He made a face.

"I'll find my own," he said and disappeared into the racks. I rolled my eyes. I'd already found a pair of knit shorts and a t-shirt. Jessyca was looking for Nick's size and an outfit for Tyler still.

"So, Jare…what's this that Nick's keeping from us?" Jessyca asked casually as she went through the racks of clothing. I shrugged. "Surely he's told you. I mean, he normally tells you everything, right?" I shrugged again. "I won't tell anyone, Jareth."

"You know what he's keeping from us?" Matt asked, peeking around a rack. "Of course you do, you two are buddy buddy."

"He doesn't want everyone to know, okay? He just wants us to focus on this and you'll find out when we get back," I replied.

"Is it a good surprise or bad? Just give me that much," Jessyca said, pulling out two pairs of shorts and a shirt.

"It depends on how you take it. Me? I think it's bad," I said, turning from the window and tossing a fifty onto the cash register. "Let's just get out of here."

We walked out of the back door and down the alley way, back to the hotel.


	27. Chapter Twenty Five

**Mary Ellen Mercer**

I walked through the front door of Evan's. I already felt at home. I saw Josie sitting with Heath in the living room as I entered. I could hear Chris arguing with someone, probably Evan, upstairs. I could see Rick and Isabel in the kitchen with Brett sitting at the table, his laptop in front of him. I decided to go in there.

I walked in and met Rick's eyes. He gave me a soft smile. Isabel was talking on the phone and had something in the oven that smelled so good. I pushed my hunger down and sat down next to Brett. He looked up as I sat down.

"Hey," he said. "Evan's upstairs."

"I know. I wanted to know if you knew anything about Tyler's disappearance. The police said he ran away and there's not much they can do for runaways," I said. He closed the laptop lid.

"You think I have something to do with this?" he asked slowly. I shook my head.

"No…but I think you may know who is involved in it. I just…don't know if you know," I said, sighing. "My dad said that if Ty doesn't want to be found, then he won't be found. I tried to go down to the Lake, but some boy named Alex told me they'd gone to Canada. They weren't going to be back for a few days. That kind of looked suspicious to me."

"I don't have anything to do with-" I cut him off.

"I know you don't, Brett, but do you think that they might?" I asked, leaning forward slightly. "I need to know the truth and I don't think that anyone is going to give it to me unless I force it out of them. I'm tired of being lied to. All I want is the truth."

"I don't think-" Evan and Chris were suddenly there, cutting off Brett.

"If she wants the truth, brother, give it to her," Evan said, pointing a finger at him. "Screw the Lake people. This isn't their right."

"You didn't, Evan," Isabel said. He didn't reply. "Evan!"

"What?" I asked.

"Do you realize what you've done, Evan!?" Brett said coldly, standing. He was about the same height of Evan and looked even more menacing. "This is the last thing we need!"

"You're not the leader, Brett! You don't make the decisions here!" Evan said just as coldly.

"No, but who was the one who stepped up to play leader with Heath and Josie? I think it's about time there's a new Alpha, Evan," Brett said in a steady voice that had venom in each word. I frowned.

"Wait, Alpha?" I asked.

"Is there an echo in here?" Chris asked.

"Fine, you want a new Alpha, we'll get a new Alpha. Let them see how hard it is to be the leader!" Evan said.

"I already run this pack. It wouldn't be any different for me," Brett spit back.

"Wait, pack!?" I asked. I was so confused. I saw Brett shaking and then Evan. In the next instant, Rick had them both outside and Isabel was trying to say something to me. "What is going on?" Chris turned and looked at me.

"How much do you believe in creatures that shouldn't be alive, Mary Ellen? To be more specific, how much do you believe in werewolves?" he asked. I stared at him. "Welcome to our world."

"That's impossible," I whispered. He shrugged.

"Impossible or not, it's the truth."

I sat there and mulled it over, hearing Isabel say something softly to the person on the phone and hang up. Werewolves weren't true, they were a myth. Yet, it all made sense. The disappearance, the wolf sightings, hearing them all the time, close by. It even made sense for Tyler's disappearance, but surely he wasn't a werewolf.

Yet, it all made sense. I heard the snarls, growls, and yelps outside, but I still couldn't believe it. I guess it was one of those things you just had to see to believe. But, I imagined, even if I did see it, I probably wouldn't have believed it. It just wasn't normal for a man to change into a wolf.

But, then, I remembered something they'd said. It was a reason I'd had to leave Nick's. "He's marked you, Mare!" Matt had been saying something. I should have listened closer. Did he mean that Evan marked me…marked me as what? How?

"What does it mean if you mark someone?" I asked quietly.

"They've called you theirs, they're property," Heath said. I looked up. I hadn't noticed he'd walked in. "Evan marked you, but it was fresh and was easily undone. He's a reckless Alpha because he's young. Brett's older than all of us, well, except Isabel and Rick. He should have been Alpha, but Evan won it from him. We managed to get Evan's mark off of you before it was too late. We don't want any trouble with the Lake pack."

"Then it's true," I whispered.

"What's true?" Isabel asked, putting a comforting arm around me. I looked up.

"Everyone I know, almost everyone I know, and love…is some mutt," I said. Isabel smiled softly.

"Mutt's an offensive word to us," Heath grumbled. "We're called the Black Ones. There's some crappy legend about us, but we're called the Black Ones because of our black coats when we're shifted and our black eyes. Some say it's because of our black hearts, but we don't have black hearts. We're just falsely accused."

"Legend?" I whispered. I should have dug deeper in the legend that had been told at the party. "All along I've known what they were and I just wasn't smart enough to piece it together."

"You're plenty smart, Mary Ellen. It would have taken a smart person to piece together that something was up, like you did."

"Yeah, but I've known for weeks. If I'd said the right words, I would have known then. But, I was bull headed and kept trying to force them to tell me the truth."

"You're not bull headed."

"Just thick skulled," Chris muttered. Heath smacked his chest.

"I…I think I need a moment," I said, standing and walking out onto the balcony. I couldn't hear Evan or Brett anymore. I couldn't even hear Rick, who had been shouting earlier.

I took a deep breath and breathed in the cool, pine scented air. It soothed me. Everything about this place soothed me, the woods, the calmness, everything. Everything else seemed like a million miles away, not just down the road. It was nice. I could see why they lived here. They must have found the same peace I did.

I had to wrap my head around the fact that my friends were werewolves. To be more specific, from the way Heath and them talked, werewolves who hated my new friends. Maybe all they knew was the legends they'd been told. If they'd just learn the truth, then maybe they'd see reason. I didn't think they would, though. I knew them all too well.

I pulled my phone out and saw I had one new text message. I'm going 2 get my dad. IDK when I'll b back, but I will b back. don't leave me, mare. Please just trust us this once & take our word. It's all I ask. –Asher

This was going to be very interesting.


	28. Epilogue

Epilogue

_ A man once wrote "When the character of a man is not clear, look at his friends," means to me that in order to see how the man acts, you must look at his friends. They way his friend's acts are how his friends will act, more than likely. It is the way that he has grown up. He has been around these people nearly all his life, most of his behaviors come from them._

_ A man is not the way he acts when he is with one person. The real man is who he is around his friends. If he is a jerk around his friends, you don't need him. You're better off without him. But, if he is kind and gentle around his friends, you'd better get that man fast because if you don't, then he's not going to be free for very long._

_ A man is not himself if he does not have his friends. Look to his friends to see if he is a true, honest person. Look to his friends to see if he is a liar or a jerk. Look to his friends to see who he hangs out with. Look to his friends to see what he does. Look to his friends to see his actions. Look to his friends to see his dreams. Look to his friends for anything that you want to know. He may be different and it's just an act around his friends, but who he is around his friends, and if he is totally different alone, then he is not showing his true self to everyone or is putting on a façade._

The End


End file.
